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nine hour chicago We had tickets for an early afternoon production of the Arthur Miller play The Crucible at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago. My primary knowledge of the play came from seeing the movie version from a decade ago with Daniel Day Lewis as John Proctor and Winona Ryder as the manipulative Abigail Williams. I now know that the play is meant to be a reflection of Joseph McCarthy and his unsavory practices in the 1950's. I can easily see the parallel between the Salem Witch Hunts and what he did, but I am always struck by how easily the town is swayed by the word of a group of teenaged girls. Why were they believed so strongly? Overall I found the performance of the play to be somewhat weak, but it was an interesting contrast to the plays that I usually see at The Milwaukee Rep. Plus I was able to observe a couple busloads of high school students dropped off there to see the play with us. I can guess that they were there for a class and seeing them there made me remember when I had been taken to see a production of Macbeth in my high school years. Obviously it was worth the school's time because I remember going, but I can't remember much else from that day. For example, I have no idea who sat with me at the play or where exactly we saw the play. What I do know is that it made me appreciate Shakespeare that much more being able to see a play in person. |