The Crucible: Hamber Theatre Takes On The Classic Tale

Photo Credit: Alex Ma

Disclosure: Alex Ma is a reporter for The Nest, but was not involved in producing this article.

Secrets, suspicions, and scandals sizzled in the auditorium with Hamber’s rendition of The Crucible. Arthur Miller’s 1953 classic was adapted by Hamber’s Theatre Department and ran from May 26-29, following an escalating witch hunt in Salem, Massachusetts, and exploring themes of reputation, action, and consequences. 

“[We are] at a pivotal time in history where this play is very, very relevant to what I see going on in the world […] which is kind of mirroring the climate that Arthur Miller first wrote this play in the 1950s,” Mr. P. Beharry (Fine Arts) said when asked why he chose to put on The Crucible this year. His interest in directing this play began in 2003. “The world is complex […], and so this play challenges you to decide who is right and who is wrong.” 

The Crucible follows three central figures: John Proctor, a proud, hardworking farmer played by Phoenix McCarthy-Undem (12); Abigail Williams, the rebellious and manipulative minister’s niece played by Eloise Lee (11); and Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctor’s guarded and upright wife played by Kendra On (12). However, what made the play a “great vehicle for high school,” according to Mr. Beharry, was the “great distribution of a lot of roles and lines for more people.”

The Crucible debuted to a bustling crowd of friends, family, teachers, and students in the auditorium. The curtains opened with the lively notes of a fiddle and a group of village girls dancing and invoking spirits in the woods. This eerie opening scene was choreographed by Michelle Molina, Hamber alumni and recent Langara Theatre School graduate. 

“Before the play, I was excited, but I was also nervous,” said Audrey Hershman (12), who played the timid servant Mary Warren. “I didn’t expect it to go as well as it did, and I didn’t expect the audience’s feedback to be as good as it was.”

To portray The Crucible’s complex characters, actors applied careful thought to their character interpretations.

“The thing I love most about my character is how strong she is. She has a lot of heart,” On said about Elizabeth Proctor. “I think she was [one of] the harder characters to play because [...] a lot of her emotions [are] not really prominent in the way that she expresses herself. It took a little bit of time for me to try to capture that.” 

To portray John Proctor, McCarthy-Undem explained that he explored his character’s motivations. “[Proctor] really puts his family in front of everything else, and that takes a lot of strength,” he said, “so that’s where I was sort of coming from. [But] even in that strength, there’s weakness [when] he hurts the people that he loves.”

Alex Ma (11), who played Reverend John Hale, sought to understand his character by exploring the historical context that the play derives its plot from. “I spent a lot of time doing research, figuring out, like, oh, this is what the belief was upon witches [at] the time,” Ma explained. “I had a lot of fun, but it was a very tedious and long process.” Ma described The Crucible as “deep”, and likes that Hamber’s Theatre Department is “not shy to stray away from more difficult material.” 

A key element of the production was the era-appropriate costumes that actors wore. Muted earthy tones and simple, modest garments reflected 17th-century Puritan fashion. The costume department took great care in this aspect of the play, making sure characters were assigned costumes that reflected “their age, their role, their job, and the time period,” according to head of costumes Pat Sincraian (11). 

However, opening night did not come without a hitch. When almost all of the actors’ mics very briefly cut out, the cast was forced to think on their feet to keep the show running. “We had to end up just using our voice[s], yelling [and] projecting our lines,” explained Sizakele Mkasi (12), who played Tituba. “In the end, we adapted.” Despite initial challenges, On said, “We had a really great show, and I’m very [...] proud of everyone.” 

Rehearsals for The Crucible began at the beginning of March. Although Mr. Beharry said that he felt that their process started late, he was nonetheless “amazed that we were able to put this challenging show together.” 

Hamber has put on lengthy productions in the past, such as Romeo and Juliet, which was spoken entirely in Shakespearean English, but for McCarthy-Undem, The Crucible came with a different set of challenges. “I’d say the biggest challenge was memorizing all the lines,” he said. 

Lee added that her perspective on The Crucible changed from when she read the play in English to after she performed as Abigail, as she “got to understand more [of the play’s] depth [and] about character motivation by acting in the play.” Lee said that her experience in The Crucible helped her gain confidence in her acting. “I haven’t been [in] any big roles before, so this is the first time I really got a role that required me to push [myself].” 

Behind the scenes, Hamber’s theatre crew worked constantly to make the play the best it could be. Max Moore (11), head of the running crew, explained that each of the set changes became very complicated and required a lot of planning. Olivia Leung (9), head of the props department, said that “because [she’s] working in the wings, [she] really appreciated all the work that [...] all the other departments do.” 

Throughout the production, cast members were able to enjoy humorous moments. Mkasi recalled that after they finished “physical and […] vocal warmups, [they] would do the Irish jig just for fun.” Lee told a story about auditioning for her role as Abigail Williams, in which Mr. Beharry told her to do a “one-minute improv of what you think it would be like to be possessed by a devil.” 

Multiple cast members shared that their favourite part about working on the spring play was its community. “You grow as people, and you get to see everybody [else] grow, and you get to bring in new people and [...] serenade them with your traditions,” Ma said. 

“With how many different genres of art there are in the world, it’s hard for [...] people to get together and enjoy one thing, and that was really a privilege that we have,” said McCarthy-Undem.

Most of the cast agreed that the inviting community of the theatre department is what drew them to join the spring play. On shared that her decision to audition for The Crucible was spurred by the sense of belonging the theatre department created. “I’ve been doing theatre since grade 8, so it was just kind of like, how could I not? I love theatre, and I love this community.”