This guide expands upon the handout and provides some additional background and sample discussion topics as well as answers to the questions posed in the handout.
Arthur Miller was born in 1915 in New York City, the son of Polish Jewish immigrants.
Miller graduated from the University of Michigan in 1938, and in 1946 he won his first Tony award for Best Author for All My Sons . He would go on to write many notable plays, including
Death of a Salesman, A View from the Bridge, and After the Fall . The Crucible won the Tony award for Best Play in 1953 and is Miller’s most frequently produced play.
In the late 1940s, Miller was close friends with Elia Kazan, one of the most influential directors in Hollywood at the time.
When Joseph McCarthy began investigating Communism in the United States, Kazan named
Miller as a Communist before the House Un-American Activites Committee (HUAC) in 1952. As a result, Miller and Kazan did not speak to each other for 10 years, and Miller began research in
Salem for The Crucible which premiered in 1953.
In 1956, Miller was called to testify before the HUAC.He provided information about his own political actions and associations, but refused to name names of other possible Communists. He was found in contempt of Congress in 1957, fined $500, blacklisted, and denied a US passport.
His sentence was overturned by an appeals court in 1958.
You can use these questions to start a discussion about the play either before or after you’ve seen our production:
1.
John Proctor is faced with two major tests of integrity in the play. What are these tests?
Do you agree with his choices? Why or why not?
Proctor faces the question of integrity when choosing to reveal his affair and again when choosing not to confess to being a witch.
The former is likely easier to view as the “right” choice, while the latter is a little more muddy, particularly since his community betrayed him first by accusing him and
Elizabeth.
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2.
Not everyone in this play has the same reasons for believing in the girls’ stories about witches. What are some of the other reasons presented for people going along with the hysteria?
The Putnams may be more willing to accept the charges of witchcraft in order to deal with neighbors they are feuding with. Abigail uses the trials as a way to try to be with
John Proctor. Mary Warren may go along with the hysteria because her status in the community is very low and being a part of the group of girls makes her feel important.
3.
Can you think of any modern day examples of “witch hunting” like this?
Students might discuss events like racial profiling after the 9/11 attacks, the Trayvon
Martin murder trial, the “show me your papers” laws in Arizona, or other examples of individuals or groups being prejudged based on their race or culture.
4.
How could the set for our production accommodate the various locations of the play’s action?
Why would a director and set designer choose this style of set rather than trying to have different set pieces to realistically represent every location?
Because the stage is sparse, the audience’s imagination and a few suggestive set pieces will assist the actors in portraying the locations described in the play.
5.
What is the effect of having a ceiling over the audience? Do you think it made you feel different as you watched the play? Why do you think the set designer chose to use this design element?
As some of the first European settlers in a new country, the Puritans built towns and structures to protect themselves. As the story unfolds, we see that the real danger to this community comes from inside these walls, and the “safe” spaces they have created for themselves are in fact more like prisons.
Please talk to your students before coming to the play. Ask if any of them have ever been to a live theatrical performance. If so, what was their experience as an audience member?
Go over the etiquette guidelines at the bottom of the handout. Reinforce the idea that they are contributors to the theatre experience, as much as the actors. Help the students understand the difference between seeing a play and attending a movie.
Ask if any of your students have ever been on stage. What was it like being in front of an audience? Were they scared? Is it possible to make a mistake on stage? How would they react if it was them on stage and they made a mistake? Would they want the audience to support them? If they had a funny line, would they want the audience to laugh? Would they want the approval of the audience, after all of the hard work they put into the production?
A play is a gift to the audience. The actors and backstage crew are doing this play for YOU. As an audience member, you can help the actors by paying attention and responding honestly to the action on stage.
We hope you enjoy our production of The Crucible !
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