Hello Beautiful People,
We had the pleasure of attending the closing night of The Crucible at the Bay Street Theatre.
It. Was. Amazing.
From the direction of Murphy Davis, to the stellar performances of the entire cast, Ken Forman (Reverend Samual Parris), Joanna Howard (Abigail Williams), Kate Mueth (Mrs. Ann Putnam), Al Bundonis (Thomas Putnam), Mackenzie Engeldrum (Mercy Lewis), Kate O’Phalen (Mary Warren), Rob DiSario (John Proctor), Lisa Cory (Rebecca Nurse), Peter Connolly (Reverend John Hale), Chloe Dirksen (Elizabeth Proctor), and Joel Leffert (Deputy Governor Danforth)….it was truly wonderful.
As teachers, writers, actors, and directors, we know The Crucible very well. It’s not an easy show to do, by any stretch of the imagination. It’s not an easy performance for some ADULTS to sit through, let alone younger generations. But, this was a presentation of the Literature Live! Program at the Bay Street Theatre, and it was brilliant.
Did you hear us? Brilliant.
For those of you that don’t know, Literature Live! is a BOCES-approved Arts-in-Education program. Plays chosen are from standards-based literature and are supported with teacher-developed lesson plans and reference materials. All performances are 90 minutes and weekday shows are followed by a question and answer session.
In an age when students know how to text better than they can write, and have long forgotten the grammar lessons taught to them in middle school and high school, becoming engaged with a play such as The Crucible can be a rather daunting task. From the time period, to the language, to the inner struggles that each and every character faces, well, sometimes the kids do not see that. Sometimes, they do not recognize the universal truth of this show, one that has transcended decades. Sometimes, it goes over their heads.
This was not one of those times.
This was engaging. This made the man next to us cry hysterically as John Proctor (Rob DiSario) was delivering his final monologue. This was a show that gave us chills as we watched Abigail (Joanna Howard), manipulate the entire community. This was something our students talked about. This was something WE talked about. This was a production of The Crucible that stayed with you long after you left the theatre.
And that, dear friends, is awesome.
Bravo to Murphy Davis, the entire cast, crew, and design team.
We wait with bated breath for the next show that is part of this series.
Live, Love, Learn,
The Write Teacher(s)