Date: 19 january 2011
The Crucible - more relevant than ever.
In 1692, in the small village of Salem, Massachusetts, in the US, one of the strangest and most awful chapters in human history played itself out: The Salem Witch trials. Swept up by religious hysteria, the townsfolk of Salem sent many men and women to the gallows for the alleged crime of being witches. What makes this shameful period of atrocity even more shocking is that these brutal and unfounded punishments all stemmed from the allegations of a handful of young girls.
In 1953 Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible as an allegory to McCarthyism; a period in US history during which numerous prominent Americans were named, shamed and ostracised as being communists and subversives.
On the other side of the world, and hundreds of years after the Salem Witch Hunts, in the Limpopo province of South Africa, an epidemic of witchcraft accusations have been prevalent since the demise of Apartheid. This has lead to mock trials and killings, and has seen refugees fleeing for their lives – destroying not only families but also crippling society in general.
Throughout history, humankind’s faculty for reason has been clouded by irrational fears and superstition, creating a destructive tendency to project the blame for society’s ills on people who differ from the norm. False accusations, manifestations of mass hysteria and rumour-mongering have always been part of our existence, and are sadly still present, despite the relative sophistication of modern living.
Joburg Promusica is proud to present Arthur Miller’s The Crucible as you have never seen it before. The cast is headlined by Stephen van Niekerk (of ‘Isidingo’ renown) and Motlatji Ditodi (of ‘Askies’). Others in this top-drawer slate of actors include Jacques Bessenger, Kim Cloete, Clive Gilson, Cindy Swanepoel, Clifford Hughes and Christien LeRoux.
Alby Michaels, known for his incredibly innovative and strongly visual productions, directs this production, which is designed by the extremely talented Kosie Smit. The Crucible promises to be a feast for theatregoers’ senses. From physical theatre to puppetry, from masks to music, from symbolism to simplicity – you will just have to expect the unexpected!
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For school/group bookings, contact Queen (
queenm@promusica.co.za) or Nevolan (
nevolanr@promusica.co.za) on 011 674 1356/7/8/9 or fax on 011 674 2365.
Other bookings can be made at Computicket Outlets (Checkers Hyper and Shoprite), or online at
http://www.computicket.com/
