The Crucible
Reviewed by Angie Hoover
Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum
Through August 19
Originally written as an allegory for the McCarthy hearings in the 1950s, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible sees a small town of religious zealots torn apart by paranoia, abuse of power, and boredom. It is a highly intellectual and political work that remains relevant in today’s social and political climate, its most obvious parallel being the growing influence of false accusation and fear-mongering on popular opinion. In an unexpected way, the story also forces contemplation about those social hierarchies which teach women to internalize the condescension, intimidation, and deceit of men in power.
The production itself, held at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, is a straightforward iteration of the play, which is not to say that it is lazy or without innovation. In particular, director Ellen Geer’s blocking takes into consideration the unique space (a wooded outdoor stage nestled in Topanga Canyon) and conjures the visual representation of predatory authority with an artful eye. A beautifully-staged scene in which Mary Warren (Maya Brattkus) begs the court to hear her plea reminds us of a rabbit quivering before a pack of ravenous wolves. With a dialogue-heavy play such as this, it would be all too easy to clump actors in the center of the stage or else scatter them arbitrarily to give the illusion of action. But in this case the positions of the players and set pieces are thoughtfully rendered, adding cohesion and symbolic depth to a story that doesn’t necessarily lend itself to powerful visuals.
It is important to note that the play necessarily includes extensive expositional dialogue as it explores the Salem witch trials and is set, for much of the time, in a courtroom where men and women are being tried for their sins. There is a resulting hysteria which can be difficult for actors to play with any believability, as the obvious choice is to resort to screaming and wailing. In this case, Abigail Williams (Bethany Koulias) and friends start at 11, and have nowhere to go from there. Of course, hysteria can be loud and fervent, but in a two-hour play, it is necessary for it to find different levels.
On a positive note, Willow Geer’s performance as Elizabeth Proctor is deeply evocative, conveying devastation subtly enough to temper the manic hysteria of the young girls without sacrificing the theatricality required of a stage actor. Similarly, John Proctor’s (Christopher W. Jones) emotional current flows naturally from angry disbelief to self-hatred to liberating self-sacrifice. The production is worth attending for the final two scenes alone, where all elements come together in such a way that the audience feels they are watching intimate moments between husband and wife, — though they are, in reality, sitting among one hundred spectators in a chilly canyon.
Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga, CA 90290; www.Theatricum.com or (310) 455-3723. Running Time: Approximately 2 hrs and 45 mins, 10 min. intermission.
