201 Washington St
Providence, Rhode Island
(401) 751-5500
Arthur Miller's The Crucible is one of my favorite plays, and Bear loves it, too. So when we found out that Trinity Rep was doing a production, we decided that we had to go see it.
I was worried about the prices, but discovered that Trinity offers bench seats for some of the shows. Ours were a very reasonable $12 each. A word to the uninducted: Bench seats are not comfortable. Bring a cushion or one of those tailgate chairs with a back on it. And maybe a footrest, since the bench was too high for me to put my feet on the floor. But the view in the Chace Theater is perfectly fine, and we were able to see everything. They're definitely not nosebleed seats.
Trinity:
It was our first time visiting Trinity Rep, although I've seen and been impressed by the building for quite some time.
According to Trinity Rep's site, the building was originally called the Emery Majestic Theater and opened as a vaudeville showcase in 1917. The name was changed soon after to the Shubert Majestic Theater, and was very popular in the first decades of the 20th century, eventually making the conversion to a movie theater in the 30's. After the rise of television in the 40's, the Theater's fortunes took a downturn.
In the 1970's Trinity Repertory Company moved from Trinity Baptist Church in Providence into the old Emery/Shubert. They gutted the interior and created two separate theaters, but they also restored the original 1917 stained glass skylight above the lobby.
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| restored skylight (interior shots taken with my phone, sorry) |
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| exit |
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| mezzanine |
Everyone we interacted with from the staff was friendly and positive. There was no artsy snobbery or sense of exclusivity. Despite the elegance of the building, the dress ranged from very casual to Parisian arthouse. It's definitely accessible, and not just for "theater people."
The Play:
The Crucible is an adaptation of the events of the Salem Witch hunts. Much of it has a basis in history, but there were definitely changes in characters and events. It's also an allegory for the McCarthy/HUAC hearings of the 1950s.
When we checked out the playbill, Bear and I were both surprised to see that two of the key accusers - teenage girls - were being played by men. I was dubious. We also saw that most of the actors played more than one character. I was intrigued.
In most cases, it worked. John Tracey played 12-year-old Betty Parris, and he worked it. Likewise Terrell Donell Sledge was just fine as Mercy Lewis (age 17). The actors playing multiple roles pulled it off well, with one exception: the actor playing one of the main characters - Abigail Williams - later played a minor speaking role, and it was distracting.
Stephen Thorne, who played John Proctor, was a powerhouse. He dominated the stage and owned his role.
Another standout for me was Anne Scurria, who played one of the "afflicted girls" (Ann Putnam) and two of the accused. Her Francis Nurse nearly broke my heart.
Olivia D'Ambrosio played Abigail Williams, and really channeled her inner Winona Ryder. If you like the movie interpretation of the play, you'll enjoy her. Bear found her to be the weak link in an otherwise strong cast.
The staging was minimal, but it was enough to set the scenes. One adaptation that I really enjoyed was having the cast identify their characters and their place in history, as well as the play's departures from history, before each act. Afterward there was a discussion of the play.
Bear and I thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Trinity Rep. We'll definitely go again when we can.
You can get other reviews of Trinity Repertory Company at UpTake
The Play:
The Crucible is an adaptation of the events of the Salem Witch hunts. Much of it has a basis in history, but there were definitely changes in characters and events. It's also an allegory for the McCarthy/HUAC hearings of the 1950s.
When we checked out the playbill, Bear and I were both surprised to see that two of the key accusers - teenage girls - were being played by men. I was dubious. We also saw that most of the actors played more than one character. I was intrigued.
In most cases, it worked. John Tracey played 12-year-old Betty Parris, and he worked it. Likewise Terrell Donell Sledge was just fine as Mercy Lewis (age 17). The actors playing multiple roles pulled it off well, with one exception: the actor playing one of the main characters - Abigail Williams - later played a minor speaking role, and it was distracting.
Stephen Thorne, who played John Proctor, was a powerhouse. He dominated the stage and owned his role.
Another standout for me was Anne Scurria, who played one of the "afflicted girls" (Ann Putnam) and two of the accused. Her Francis Nurse nearly broke my heart.
Olivia D'Ambrosio played Abigail Williams, and really channeled her inner Winona Ryder. If you like the movie interpretation of the play, you'll enjoy her. Bear found her to be the weak link in an otherwise strong cast.
The staging was minimal, but it was enough to set the scenes. One adaptation that I really enjoyed was having the cast identify their characters and their place in history, as well as the play's departures from history, before each act. Afterward there was a discussion of the play.
Bear and I thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Trinity Rep. We'll definitely go again when we can.
You can get other reviews of Trinity Repertory Company at UpTake
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