Students, staff and families were able to attend the student-led production of The Crucible on Friday, Mar. 18, and Saturday, Mar. 19 starting at 7:00 p.m both days.

The students -both participants and audience members- were excited that they were going to be able to but on a production since they have not been able to the past few years due to the pandemic.

“It was really nice to be able to have one [a play], due to COVID-19 we haven’t been able to for the past few years. I got to hang out with old and new faces and it was nice to be part of something that I have enjoyed since my freshman year.” said Senior Andrew Laube.

The Crucible is based loosely on the Salem witch trials during 1692, taking some creative liberty to create a thrilling story.

Act 1

The first characters introduced are Reverend Paris (Alisha Evans), Betty Parris (Claudia Craft), Tituba (Ariana Hudkins), and Abigail Williams (Reese Garfield), and they reveal through their conversation that Abigail and Betty along with many others were seen dancing about in the woods with Tituba, the Parris’ slave, and Betty has been bedridden since.

Reverend Parris is soon joined by Mr. Putnam (Lauren Platz) and Mrs. Putnam (Elizabeth Pichey) who reveal that their daughter Ruth has also been afflicted by this strange “disease” and that the Putnams suspect that this is the work of the devil.

After this, the servant of the Putnam’s, Mercy Lewis (Liberty Cronenvhet) reveals that their daughter has moved and this makes Parris willing to hold a prayer session for the girls, which leaves Abigail alone to talk with Mercy about the night in the woods. Mary Warren (Madalyn Reif) then joins the conservation after seeking from the Proctor home to speak about how their actions the night before could have affected the girls.

This leads to an argument between the girls and Abigial states that they must not reveal that they did anything with witchcraft threatening their lives if they reveal any of what truly happened.

John Proctor (Andrew Laube) then enters to scold Mary Warren for leaving the home and the girls all leave except for Abigail, where the audience discovers that Proctor and Abigail had an affair that caused his wife to kick her out of their home. Abigail has not moved on from this affair while Proctor appears to have and he even pushes her away from him as she attempts to make advances on him.

After Betty suddenly screams upon hearing the prayer from downstairs, they rush up and conclude that she must be bewitched since she cannot stand to listen to the lord’s song.

Rebecca Nurse (Emily Callahan) then enters to give her advice on the matter since she is seen as quite wise and knowledgeable about children by the town, followed by Giles Corey (Reghan Heystek) and her husband Francis Nurse (Lydia McLain), wherein she concludes that the children are just simply faking it and will eventually tire of it.

Putnam still believes that this is witchcraft and this causes Proctor to speak out and say that Parris has no authority to issue anything, such as sending for Reverend Hale (Thomas Brewer) who appears after Proctor has a confrontation about how holy Parris is.

Reverend Hale shows up and asks about their issue and they talk about the girls dancing in the woods and Mrs. Putnam admits to Hale that she sent her child there to talk to her seven dead babies as she heard that Tituba could conjure spirits.

This leads to questioning of Tituba wherein in her fear she admits that she knows who works with the devil in the town, naming the social outcasts of the town, a list of which Abigail begins to add upon and then Betty awakens adding more names herself.

The girls then begin to name more people and more girls come forward claiming to have met some of the witches in Salem, which sparks fear into many as none seem safe, not even Rebecca Nurse who is sentenced under the false pretense that she killed Mrs. Putnam’s babies.

Act 2

Proctor returns home and talks to his wife, Elizabeth Proctor (Ruby LaRocque), and speaks to her about the events in town, worrying Elizabeth and she is upset that he lied about being alone with Abigail, indicating that she does not fully trust him after his affair.

This confrontation is interrupted by Mary Warren who gives Elizabeth a poppet (a Pillsbury Doughboy doll as an inside joke for the actors) and talks about those accused in the town and states that she will no longer let herself be bossed around by them and reveals that Elizabeth was mentioned during the witch trials.

Reverend Hale then enters and begins to question the couple’s Christian character, wherein the audience learns more about Proctor’s dislike for Parris.

Soon after this Ezekiel Cheever (Sam Springsteen) and Marshal Herrick (Ava Pitts) come and take Elizabeth away as she has been charged with witchcraft and attempted murder on Abigail since a needle was found in the poppet that is in the same area in which she was stabbed.

Proctor then forces Mary Warren to tell the court the truth, that she and all the other girls are lying.

Act 3

Once in court, Giles Corey and Francis Nurse attempt to get their wives out of jail but are unsuccessful with Giles being arrested for not being open with the court.

Mary Warren attempted to show that they were in fact lying but Deputy-Governor Danforth (senior Abigail Seelman) brought in the other girls who claimed that she was now a witch but, the fear of ridicule becomes too much for Mary making her turn against Proctor and claiming him a man of the devil.

This sets off Proctor and he screams to them that they will all burn in hell for what they have done as he is arrested.

Conclusion

Senior Lauren Rice and senior Elias Knack then come on stage to read an epilogue, wherein Proctor and Rebecca Nurse were killed for witchcraft but the rest were saved and Abigail and Mercy ran off to France and allegedly became women of the night.

This production was a wonder to watch and showcased the brilliant acting that KHS has to offer.

Senior Elias Knack lead a great production and allowed for the play to be perfected by the cast.

They set the bar for the next play, it will be a tough act to follow.