The year is 1692, in the town of Salem, Massachusetts, and hysteria is running throughout the town. Women and men alike are being accused of witchcraft by a group of very imaginative young girls, and many will be hung for this supposed crime. For half a year or so, people are being accused of being witches and are thrown in tiny little jail cells for weeks to months at a time to await a trial, and for many of these unlucky people, their stay in jail will end at Gallows Hill. By the time the Salem Witch Trials were over, 19 people and two dogs had been hung for witchcraft, one man had been pressed, and about 200 had been thrown in jail for it.

This tragic piece of history has been caught and twisted into the fictional play, “The Crucible,” by Arthur Miller, and this past fall, Monmouth Academy Drama picked up the script and ran with it. Director Dennis Price said, “I chose this play for our fall piece because I wanted a play that I would tie into what the kids are learning in school, and when I heard that they would be learning about The Salem Witch Trials, it was a no-brainer to pick this show!”

Picking the show is the easy part; then comes bringing the play to life. First students had to audition for their parts, and when they finally found out whose identity they would take on, then came the hardest part; memorizing lines and actually becoming your character. It may sound easy, but it isn’t. As opening night got closer, it seemed as if things just got harder. A few people had to switch characters nearly last minute; giving them a mere few days to learn their new lines in however many days were left until opening night. A set had to be found, and props needed to be worked into the show. However, with the many, many hours that everyone put into rehearsals, students had plenty of time to get their respective parts down, and by opening night, “The Crucible” was ready to go on, however much the cast didn’t think so. Costumes were ready, thanks to Mr. Price and costume designer Ann Fairchild. The stage of Cumston Theater was completely set up and ready, sending everyone back into 1692, lighting was programmed and the audience was ready and excited.

Nerves were running high, as the cast waited backstage or below, in the caucus room for the show to begin. People were frantically flipping through scripts, making sure that they still had certain lines down correctly and hadn’t forgotten anything. Others were running around, making sure they had every piece of their costume on correctly, checking in the mirrors to make sure their bonnet was on correct, or that their coat was tucked in nicely and their hair was behaving. Still others were simply trying to stay calm, listening to music or talking to some of their cast-mates in order to keep their nervousness down to a minimum. Finally, lights went down, and the audience hushed as the show started.

For six nights, the cast of “The Crucible” performed their show. Each showing was special, and a little bit different than the one before. Mistakes were made, but never anything that couldn’t be covered up by another cast member. Each show was special for the students who were in them, and many of the members will remember the inside jokes that were created during the showings for a long time to come. It’s easy to say that every person involved in “The Crucible,” whether they be a member of the cast, tech crew, or director, loved making the show come to life, and are very proud of what they created. This play was a success, and the students of Monmouth Academy Drama are ready to continue with their next show. So watch out Maine Regional Drama Festival, because M.A.D. is on its way!!!