The Crucilbe: Theater Project. Includes Directorial, Set, Sound, And C

I chose Arthur Miller’s The Crucible because of the plot’s dark history and suspense. Also because of the play’s reflection of McCarthyism. The so called â€Å"witch-hunts† for communist brought on by Senator Joseph.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The play is set in Salem, Massachusetts, 1692, where suspicions of witchcraft were floating around the town air. Act 1 starts out in early spring and ends in Act 4 when it is late fall. The play opens with Betty Parris sick in bed, and Reverend Parris tending to her, and wondering what made her so sick. Soon Abigail Williams saunters in, and through much probing, Reverend Parris eventually finds out that she, Tituba, Susanna Walcott and Betty were all involved together in a secret practicing of witchcraft. Abigail tells of a dance around a cauldron in the woods, and says that was all that happened. But, when Reverend Parris reveals how he was in the woods at that particular time, and saw the dances, Abigail gradually explains what went on, while leaving herself out as the main practitioner. She says she was forced into it all by the other girls and Tituba. Now the stage is set for a variety of unexpected accusations, scandals and tribulations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main characters are Abigial Williams, the â€Å"trouble maker† of the play, is the niece of Reverend Parris. Though only 13 years old she manages to get the whole village in an uproar. With the help of the other girls in the village, she fools the Salem council into thinking that the devil has inhabited certain citizens. Reverend Parris is the minister for Salem. He is a paranoid, power hungry man. He is more concerned about his reputation than his daughter and niece's souls when the first rumors of witchcraft get under way. However, he quickly learns to take advantage of the witch craze for his own personal gain.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Proctor had an affair with Abigail when she was his household servant. He hates hypocrisy, and his hidden sin causes him a great deal of moral anguish. He hesitates to expose Abigail as a fraud because he knows his own conscience is unclean. He does not try to expose her as a liar until it is too late. He is accused of witchcraft and convicted. He suffers a moral dilemma over the decision to confess or not to confess to witchcraft. He confessed his affair before Danforth and Hathorne because he refuses to a... ...o show that she was a servant and wasn’t clothed in the same clothes as her masters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Last is sound. This play didn’t have any chances for back ground music except for the end of each act. The ending song for Act 1 is called â€Å"Pulse† which is performed by The Kroumata Percussion Ensamble located on the C.D. â€Å"The 2nd Construction†. It contains light xylophone, snare drum, timpani and bells. Act 2 opens with the living room and Elizabeth singing in the back ground. It also had a fire place so I wanted the sound of the fire crackling randomly through the scene. Then we hear the neighing of a horse and John proctor arrives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Act 3 ends with the uproar from John proctor and I chose another piece from The Kroumata Percussion Ensamble entitled â€Å"Soldier’s Song† which is a series of drum rolls, base drum crashes and timpani rolls. Act 4 leads us to the jail cell where the fall moon is shining through the window and the sounds of frogs and crickets can be heard. The scene ends with John being taken away to the hallows. For this scene I wanted a constant percussion ensemble of sounds and to get increasingly louder as the curtain falls.