Miller’s story revolves around John Proctor, his wife Elizabeth, and the teenager Abigail Williams with whom John once slept with. Said Abigail is caught with some of her friends performing a pagan ritual in the woods, led by the slave Tituba. Abigail denies witchcraft, but when an expert on witches is brought in to determine if Satan lives among them, Abigail soon sees an opportunity to destroy people she hates, including John Proctor’s wife. Threatening the other girls (she says she’s seen Indians kill, and she can do it to them), she holds them in her sway as she claims they were bewitched, and that she knows who the witches are.

Rory Team is John Proctor, sick with worry and shame as Abigail begins her reign of terror, and he knows Elizabeth could be on the list. Rory transitions nicely from his anger and frustration at the unfolding nightmare, to his embarrassment, to his tender concern for his wife. Elizabeth is played by Michelle Nicolas as a woman permanently saddened by her husband’s unfaithfulness, but still in love and standing with him as the evil circles.

Ashley Avan is that evil. A chilling Abigail who knows what she wants (John Proctor) and lacks all empathy as she goes after him. The other girls, and probably most of the audience, are all understandably terrified of her. The only hope for the Proctors is their housemaid Mary Warren. Eleanor Rudolph delivers a magnificent performance as she struggles between the truth, her concern for the Proctors, her love of God and fear of hell, and her even greater fear of Abigail. It builds to a riveting climax between the Proctors, the judges, and the accusing girls, with the soul of Mary Warren in the balance.

Director Monica Hall stages an excellent production that keeps a running tension through the entire show. Her cast is deep with many other strong performances including Daniel Liuag as the most logical and sensible of the witch hunters, Arrianna Tate as the fearful Tituba, Millie Beetham as the sage and kindly Rebecca Nurse, and Dakota McIntire as the ornery Giles Corey. The entire cast ratchet up the intensity for a stellar courtroom battle between evil and enlightenment.

Of course, the good news is that humanity is more enlightened now and has moved beyond all inclinations to such ignorant and dangerous behavior, so these things could never happen again.

Performed January 22 - 23, 2010

Rob Hopper
rob@nationalyouththeatre.com
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National Youth Arts

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