From Oct. 9 to Oct. 19, on Thursdays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m., the College of DuPage brings to life “The Crucible.” “The Crucible” is a 1953 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. The story takes place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay from 1692 to 1693 following a group of girls, led by Abigail Williams, who falsely accuse villagers of witchcraft to cover up their own forbidden activities.
As the College of DuPage opens its first show of the year, director Daniel Millhouse explained the feeling of anticipation surrounding opening night.
“I am super excited,” Millhouse said. ”There is no official show until there is an audience.”
Most shows, according to Millhouse, put on by COD College Theater end up being about communities, togetherness and acceptance, but The Crucible came out to be a different show—a very utopian/dystopian show about witch hunts and drama.
As all shows go, rehearsals consist of ups and downs but love throughout all of the cast. Performer Abigail Williams, playing the character Abigail Williams, talked about how every member of the cast and crew worked hard to uplift everyone around them.
“There is a feeling of ensemble amongst the cast mates,” Williams said. “I love helping the actors be the best of themselves, and I can’t wait to see how they portray that on stage.”
However, along with the unity, each cast member experiences their own sense of challenge. Nick Washington, playing the Rev. John Hale, said his main challenge throughout rehearsals was maintaining energy the entire time.
“Rehearsals are very energy heavy,” Washington said. “It was surprising for me to see how tired I became at the end of each rehearsal.”
However, Williams stated the opposite, “For me, each rehearsal contained a lot of analytical work.”
Along with some of the challenges Williams and Washington faced, Millhouse was met with some challenges himself.
“As I have worked with Abby and Nick before, I have had a chance to see what their highs and lows are during the rehearsals,” Millhouse said. “However, with new cast members, I was still trying to acknowledge their highs and lows and get a sense of trust amongst the cast as a whole.”
However, despite the challenges, the director and the actors believe the cast has grown as a whole, melding each line and rehearsal into one another, creating a sense of unity amongst the castmates. Washington and Williams both said they couldn’t wait to watch their castmates break their psyche and really get into their modes of acting, watching each character come to life off-book and on stage in front of an audience.
“The audience should realize how lying to protect yourself can negatively impact the community,” Millhouse said. “Along with that, I want the audience to realize that these people exist in our everyday lives.”
“The message of “The Crucible” is timeless,” Washington said. “The message will continue to last on for generations, and we can’t wait to see the audience realize that.” It will be Washington’s seventh show and Williams’ second show at the College of DuPage. “The Crucible’” will be running in the MAC’s Playhouse theatre until Oct.19. Tickets can be ordered online at the MAC’s website (https://atthemac.org/events/the-crucible/) or at the box office before the show for $16 for students and $18 for adults.
