Wake Forest Theater Stages “The Crucible”

The play, set in Salem, Mass., during the famous 17th century witch trials, will open Friday, Oct. 4, and run through Oct. 13.

Based on a true story that occurred in Puritan New England in 1692, “The Crucible” was written during the McCarthy era. With it, Miller called attention to the 1950s “witch hunt” for communists by the House Un-American Activities Committee.

Centered around stories Abigail Williams (played by sophomore Kourtney Vahle) concocts, the play shows how small lies build until an entire town is so caught up in the fear of witchcraft that 19 men and women are hanged. Senior Katherine A. Brewer plays Elizabeth Proctor, a farmer’s wife who is accused of witchcraft, and junior Jim Frazier plays her husband, John Proctor, who stands up for justice.

All performances begin at 8 p.m. in the Mainstage Theater except an Oct. 13 matinee performance at 2 p.m. Tickets, available at the theater box office (759-5295), are $10; $5 for students. The box office is open weekdays from 12-5:30 p.m.