Cleveland Play House: The Crucible
Oct. 10 – Nov. 8 in the Outcalt Theatre
CLEVELAND, OH (August 22, 2015) Fear, deceit, and paranoia run fervent in Cleveland Play House’s (CPH) gripping production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. In 1953, Miller’s captivating play about the fictionalization of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, earned the playwright his third Tony Award. One year later in 1954, the show was produced at CPH and has not been performed there again…until now. More than 60 years later, this story is still as socially relevant as ever, making it an invaluable addition to CPH’s 100 th Season lineup. The icing on the literal cake is that one of the performances will take place on October 17 th, which would have been Miller’s 100 th birthday. Directed by CPH Artistic Director Laura Kepley, this show also boasts the largest cast since CPH moved downtown five years ago.
Kepley states: “I am thrilled to have a large community of actors onstage that is reflective of our Northeast Ohio population. This work takes a deep look into (at) how fear, anxiey, insecurity, greed and lust can destroy a community. Intense physical visceral experience
Using the same artistic license Miller used when he fictionalized and dramatized the events in Salem for his play, CPH’s production of The Crucible will honor the conventions of the time period, but the characters will be more familiar to the contemporary eye. To intensify the audience’s experience, the show will be performed in the round.
The look and feel of the production will honor the conventions of the time period, as well as use artistic license to make the characters more familiar to the contemporary eye.
What motivates us to turn on each other?
Ultimately how do we find the courage to do the right thing even when the whole world is against us?
This will not be the production of The Crucible you remember from high school.
The look and feel of the production will honor the conventions of the time period, as well as use artistic license to make the characters more familiar to the contemporary eye. This is the same artistic license Miller used when he fictionalized and dramatized the events in Salem 1692 for his 1952 play.
With a 21 st century twist?
Written in the early 1950s, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. It recounts the events surrounding the Salem Witch Trials. This was a time when paranoia, hysteria, and deceit gripped the Puritan towns of New England.
Arthur Miller’s 100th birthday
1953 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay during 1692 and 1693. Miller wrote due to inspiration from McCarthyism, when the U.S. government blacklisted accused communists. Miller himself was questioned by the House of Representatives' Committee on Un-American Activities in 1956 and convicted of contempt of Congress for refusing to identify others present at meetings he had attended.
The play was first performed at the Martin Beck Theater on Broadway on January 22, 1953, starring E.G. Marshall, Beatrice Straight and Madeleine Sherwood. Miller felt that this production was too stylized and cold and the reviews for it were largely hostile (although The New York Times noted "a powerful play [in a] driving performance"). Nonetheless, the production won the 1953 Tony Award for Best Play. A year later a new production succeeded and the play became a classic. It is a central work in the canon of American drama.
Cleveland Play House Celebrates 100 Seasons with Centennial Celebration Weekend Oct. 23 – 25
Community Open House Performances by Tony and Academy Award Winner & CPH Alum Joel Grey
Performances of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible
Behind-the-Scenes Tours & Demonstrations
Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Exhibits, Plays, Children’s Activities,
and More!
CLEVELAND, OH (September 22, 2015) To celebrate its 100 th anniversary, Cleveland Play House (CPH) will host a Centennial Celebration Weekend Oct. 23 – 25, which will include a free community open house, along with a variety of performances, activities, presentations, and behind-the-scenes tours. As America’s first professional regional theatre, Cleveland Play House has proudly provided Northeast Ohio audiences with bold, distinctive, thrilling theatre and groundbreaking education programs since its inception in 1915. Throughout the years, CPH’s desire to have a continuous dialogue with the community has always been an integral part of their mission. The Centennial Celebration Weekend will give community members the opportunity to intermingle with many of the creative minds who bring CPH productions to life, and to get a glimpse of what the future holds for this groundbreaking organization.
CPH Artistic Director Laura Kepley adds: “All weekend long, we’ll be honoring our past and looking ahead to the next century by hosting performances, presentations, and get-togethers. We’ll reunite our extended CPH family, and introduce new friends to the nation’s first regional theatre. Come celebrate with us, and be a part of theatre history!”
Many familiar faces will be in attendance at the Centennial Celebration Weekend, including CPH alum and Tony and Academy Award-winning performer Joel Grey, who will be starring in Joel Grey: Up Close and Personal for two performances only on the Allen Theatre stage. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, which is part of CPH’s 2015-16 Season, will be taking place in the Outcalt Theatre, and many other performances and events will be taking place in the various venues of the Allen Theatre complex at Playhouse Square. CPH will also host its annual Hall of Fame Luncheon, where it will induct 3 new members who have contributed to the vibrant history of CPH.
CPH’s longevity is the result of its loyal and sharp audiences, dedicated board members, generous donors, creative and passionate employees, and its commitment to tell stories that matter by producing works that are socially relevant, inspire audiences, and create a dialogue within the community. Whether nurturing new work through its annual New Ground Theatre Festival, or collaborating with an up-and-coming playwright through its Playwrights’ Unit, CPH is constantly looking to push artistic boundaries while producing plays of the highest professional standards. CPH’s standard of excellence was recognized at the national level this year when it was awarded with the prestigious 2015 Regional Theatre Tony Award. Those in attendance at the Centennial Celebration Weekend will have the opportunity to see the Tony for themselves on display at the event.