Online Production Packet for
WBHS Theatre Arts
Program Fall Production
of
THE CRUCIBLE
The application forms for this production are DUE back to Mr.
Greene NO LATER than Monday, September 17th by 2:45pm.
Be aware, this is 1 day prior to the audition!
AUDITION DATE: Tuesday, Sept. 18th from 3-6pm in the Forum
PLEASE BE ADVISED: Full cast rehearsals are noted on the rehearsal calendar as
“FCM”. All cast members should plan on attending rehearsal on these days.
Additionally, outside of a family emergency of severe illness, absolutely NO rehearsals
may be missed by any cast member during the FINAL TWO WEEKS of rehearsal.
Please check your schedule prior to auditioning to ensure you will be available during
these weeks.
General Synopsis & Character
The Crucible, a brief synopsis:
The Crucible takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The action begins in the home of
Reverend Parris, whose daughter Betty lies unconscious and appears very ill. Around midnight the night
before, Parris had discovered Betty, his niece Abigail, and Tituba, his black slave, dancing in the woods,
causing Betty to swoon. The local physician is unable to determine the cause of Betty’s illness. Mr. and
Mrs. Putnam arrive and reveal that their daughter Ruth is also ill. There is talk in the village of an
unnatural cause.
Abigail warns her friend Mercy Lewis and the Proctors’ servant Mary Warren, not to reveal that
they were all casting spells in the woods. Betty wakes, and Abigail threatens the other girls with
violence if they tell anyone that she drank blood and cast a spell in order to kill Goody Proctor. Betty
loses consciousness again.
John Proctor and Abigail talk privately about their former relationship. Prior to the opening of
the play, Abigail worked as a servant in the Proctor home. Elizabeth Proctor was ill at the time and
Abigail took on more responsibility within the Proctor household. When Elizabeth discovered the affair,
she dismissed Abigail. During their discussion, Abigail becomes angry with Proctor because he refuses
to acknowledge any feelings for her.
Betty wakes again and is hysterical. The well-respected Rebecca Nurse is visiting the Parris
household and calms her. Prophetically, Rebecca warns Parris that identifying witchcraft as the cause of
Betty’s illness will set a dangerous precedent and lead to further problems in Salem. Mr. Putnam asks
Rebecca to visit Ruth and attempt to wake her. Ruth is the only Putnam child to survive infancy, and
Mrs. Putnam is jealous of Rebecca because all of Rebecca’s children are healthy, whereas Mrs. Putnam
had lost seven infant children.
Putnam, Proctor, and Giles Corey argue with Parris about his salary and other expectations.
Parris claims that a faction is working to drive him out of town, and he disputes their salary figures.
Putnam, Proctor, and Corey then begin arguing over property lines and ownership. Putnam accuses
Proctor of stealing wood from land that he does not own, but Proctor defends himself, stating that he
purchased the land from Francis Nurse five months ago. Putnam claims Francis had no right to the land
and, therefore, could not sell it.
Reverend Hale arrives from another town to investigate the strange events in Salem. The people
of Salem have summoned him as an expert in witchcraft to determine if witchcraft is behind the
children’s illnesses. Hale learns that the girls were dancing in the woods with Tituba, and that Tituba can
conjure spirits. Abigail blames Tituba for enticing her to sin. Hale then questions Tituba, and she admits
that she has seen the Devil, as has Goody Good and Goody Osburn. Abigail also confesses to witchcraft,
stating that she had given herself to the Devil, but that she now repents. Betty wakes up, and she and
Abigail name individuals that they say they have seen with the Devil.
Eight days later, Elizabeth discovers that Proctor spoke to Abigail privately while in Salem.
Elizabeth and Proctor argue over this. Mary Warren comes home from Salem where she is serving as an
official of the court, and gives Elizabeth a poppet (doll) that she made for her while sitting in the
courtroom. Mary Warren tells Proctor that some of the girls accused Elizabeth of witchcraft, but the
court dismissed the charge because Mary Warren defended her.
Hale arrives at the Proctor house and questions Proctor about his poor church attendance. He
asks Proctor to name the Ten Commandments. Proctor names nine successfully, but he forgets the
commandment forbidding adultery. Hale questions Elizabeth as well. Proctor reveals that Abigail
admitted to him that the witchcraft charges were false.
Marshal Herrick then arrives and arrests Elizabeth. Earlier that evening, Abigail feels a needlestab while eating dinner, and she accuses Elizabeth of attempted murder. The authorities of Salem
search the Proctor house and discover the poppet, along with a needle. Hale questions Mary Warren and
learns that she sewed the poppet and stored the needle inside. Mary Warren also tells him that Abigail
saw her sew the poppet and store the needle. Nevertheless, Elizabeth is arrested.
The court convicts Martha Corey and Rebecca Nurse of witchcraft. Giles Corey tells the court he
has proof that Putnam is accusing his neighbors of witchcraft in order to gain their land. Judge Danforth
asks the name of the witness who gave Corey the information, but Corey refuses to cooperate. The court
arrests him. Judge Danforth informs Proctor that Elizabeth is pregnant.
Mary Warren tells the court that she pretended to see spirits and falsely accused others of
witchcraft. She reveals that Abigail and the other girls are also lying. Abigail denies Mary Warren’s
charge, however, and she and the others claim that Mary Warren is sending out her spirit against them in
the court.
Proctor denounces Abigail’s charge against Mary Warren, stating that Abigail is a lying whore.
Proctor informs the court of his affair with Abigail and states that she is lying in order to have Elizabeth
executed, thereby providing herself with the opportunity to become his wife. After Proctor agrees that
Elizabeth would never lie, the court summons Elizabeth and questions her about the affair. Not knowing
that her husband has confessed it, Elizabeth lies about the affair and is returned to jail. Abigail resumes
her claim that Mary Warren is attacking her until Mary Warren recants her confession that she lied about
the witchcraft and charges John Proctor as the Devil’s man.
Several months pass. Proctor is in prison, scheduled to hang, along with Rebecca Nurse.
Elizabeth is also in prison, although the court has delayed her execution until after she gives birth. Hale
attempts to convince the prisoners to confess rather than hang, but all refuse. Proctor confesses and signs
a written affidavit, but he destroys the document rather than have it posted on the church door. Proctor is
taken to the gallows.
A Note About the Characters:
Due to the possibility of cuts being made to the script, character line counts will not be provided.
However, the following breakdown should offer some degree of understanding on the size of roles.
Leading Roles (in no particular order): Proctor, Abigail, Elizabeth, Hale, Paris, Danforth
Medium Roles (in no particular order): Putnam, Ann, Tituba, Mary, Rebecca
Supporting Roles (in no particular order): Mercy, Betty, Hathorne, Giles, Willard, Sarah, Susanna,
Francis, Cheever, Hopkins
Minor Roles (in no particular order): Ruth, Marth, Goody Osborn, George Jacobs
Greene’s Character Descriptions:
John Proctor: Proctor is an ordinary man, placed in a seemingly incomprehensible situation. It is true,
he has sinned. He had an affair with a serving girl that was in his employment. During this period,
adultery was considered one of the most reprehensible acts imaginable, only somewhat more tolerable
than murder. Still, he confessed his error to his wife and has since strived to make amends. He cannot
and should not be considered a fowl member of society. He is plain, ordinary man, not without his
faults and willing to admit them, unlike the majority of his peers. This distinction allows us to
empathize with Proctor. Sadly, death becomes the only option for his ultimate redemption.
Elizabeth: She is a truly good woman. True, her husband’s adultery has caused a severe strain on her
relationship. Not surprisingly, it is horribly difficult for Elizabeth to escape the history of this betrayal.
In the months following her husband’s confession, Elizabeth has simply been present, but certainly not
connected to her husband, physically, emotionally, or in any other form. Imprisonment coupled with
separation from her husband allows Elizabeth the time necessary to process and reflect on the love she
holds for Proctor. The depth and intensity of their bond is sealed permanently moments before John is
lead to the gallows. Elizabeth is an amazing stoic and fascinating woman. The actor portraying this role
must master a sense of understanding on the depths of her being.
Abigail: Abigail is a truly wonderful character specimen. It is true that during this age people matured
on a timescale far more rapid than our own. Still, I would like the actor playing Abigail to display a
mixture of both the child and the adult. Abigail is, in many ways, still very much a naïve child. Her
brief physical relationship with Proctor has cemented a fascination akin to the first love of many young
girls. At the same time, through forced circumstances, Abigail is empowered with the authority of a
respected figure, a leader. To maintain her powerbase, she begins to construct and then escalate a web
of lies. At first, her actions are used in self defense. As the play progresses, she grows out of a
defensive mode and begins open aggression. First prompted by fear, Abigail’s charade transforms into a
reality she is constructing. If a lie is lived, breathed, shared and held by other as God’s truth, it cannot
be a lie. It soon becomes a defined reality. This is the mindset that Abigail holds. This is the mindset
that the actor portraying Abigail must display.
Hale: Hale is a wonderful character. When he first emerges in the play, he is the epitome of young
arrogance. The world is his oyster. His is empowered with a formal education. He is bolstered with an
unquestioning faith of his authority that the unlearned (the majority of the population) have in him. This
proves to be a fatal flaw, and it ultimately leads to the deaths of several innocent people. Hale
recognizes his own arrogance and flawed self-perceptions, and during the second act he desperately tries
to remedy the damage he has caused. Sadly, the wheels of justice roll forward, as halting their
progression would create a calamity; the lie supports the court’s authority would be exposed.
Tituba: She is the Reverend Parris’ slave from Barbados. As a servant, she is charged with the duty of
caring for Parris’ daughter and niece. She has a natural bond with the children and young girls of the
community. As a representative of a strange and distant culture, she is viewed with a definite sense of
wonder, curiosity and awe by the youthful girls. Naturally, she seeks to share her knowledge with them.
In an all too often practice, Tituba quickly becomes the target of anger and focus of blame for causing
the sickness affecting both Ruth Putnam and Betty Parris. Although not an extremely large role, Tituba
is a wonderful character and vital link of the play. I am looking for some truly dynamic reads on the
part of those auditioning for this role. Don’t disappoint me to shallow stereotypes. Make this character
come alive before my eyes with a realistic, understanding portrayal.
General Character Descriptions:
Reverend Samuel Parris: Minister of the town of Salem. He caught his daughter, Betty, with Mercy
Lewis, Ruth Putnam, Mary Warren, and Abigail Williams dancing in the woods with Tituba. He thinks
they were performing witchcraft and now he is terrified that he will be thrown out of Salem for having
a witch for a daughter. He believes in the high authority of the court and the church. He thinks that
anything said against the court or church is an attempt to undermine both institutions.
Betty Parris: Ten-year-old daughter of Reverend Parris. Caught by her father dancing in the woods
with Tituba, Mercy Lewis, Ruth Putnam, Mary Warren, and Abigail Williams, Betty is accused of
witchcraft.
Tituba: Reverend Parris' slave from Barbados. She was caught in the woods chanting with Betty,
Mercy, Ruth, Mary, and Abigail. She knows about spirits and is accused of witchcraft.
Susanna Walcott: Abigail Williams' friend. She accuses people of being witches along with Abigail.
Mrs. Ann Putnam: Middle-aged woman around forty-five, she is the wife of Thomas Putnam and the
mother of Ruth Putnam. She gave birth to eight children and seven of them died. Now, Ruth is ill, and
she thinks it is because of witchcraft. She thinks that the whole town is falling under the hands of the
Devil.
Thomas Putnam: Husband of Ann Putnam, he is around fifty and is a wealthy land owner. He is bitter
with the town over old matters dealing with land. He accuses many people of witchcraft as a sort of
revenge against them.
Mercy Lewis: The Putnams' eighteen-year-old servant. She was caught dancing in the woods with
Tituba, Ruth, Mary, Betty, and Abigail. She pretends to see witches.
Mary Warren: A seventeen-year-old girl who works for John and Elizabeth Proctor. She was caught
dancing in the woods with Tituba, Ruth, Mercy, Betty, and Abigail.
Rebecca Nurse: Wife of Francis Nurse. She is an older woman of seventy-two and very gentle. She is
widely respected throughout Salem, as her husband has a strong voice in the town. She is eventually
accused of witchcraft.
Giles Corey: One of the oldest men in the town of Salem and a good friend of John Proctor's, his wife
is eventually accused of witchcraft. He tries to defend his wife, and when he does, he gets charged with
contempt of court.
Francis Nurse: Husband of Rebecca Nurse, he is a wealthy landowner in Salem. He is widely
respected and looked upon to settle many disputes. He had some bad relations in regards to land
ownership, specifically with Thomas Putnam. He tries to settle the investigations of witchcraft in
Salem.
Goody Sarah Good: An older beggar woman accused of witchcraft. She admits to having made
compacts with the Devil.
Deputy Governor Danforth: Head of the court case dealing with the witch-hunt. He has a strong
voice of authority in the court and will not be undermined. He questions anything anyone says to him
as if it is a potential threat to both the power of the court and the integrity of the law.
Ezekiel Cheever : Man appointed by the court to arrest witches, he has a weak character. He says he is
bound by the law to do what he has to do and never thinks otherwise. He is always seen with Danforth
and listens to whatever Danforth tell him to do.
Judge Hathorne: Judge sent to examine some of the people accused of being witches. Like Cheever,
he has a weak character and does whatever the law and Danforth tell him to.
Marshal Herrick: In charge of arresting all of the accused witches. Like Cheever, he also claims he is
bound by the law to follow their orders to arrest accused witches. He never questions that the law may
in fact be wrong.
Hopkins: The jailer.
Minor Characters (no dialogue):
Ruth Putnam: Daughter of Thomas and Mrs. Ann Putnam. She is ill and her mother thinks it is due to
evil falling on the town of Salem. She is one of the girls caught dancing in the woods by Reverend
Parris. Mrs. Putnam sent her to Tituba to conjure spirits in hopes that Ruth would be able to
communicate with her seven dead siblings.
Martha Corey: Wife of Giles Corey. She reads books and hides them from Giles. This makes him start
to wonder about her because whenever she has her book out, he cannot pray, but when she closes the
book, he can pray again.
Goody Osburn: One of the women accused of witchcraft in Salem. She did not know the Ten
Commandments when asked and is sentenced to be hanged.
George Jacobs: One of the people accused of witchcraft who now waits in jail. Giles Corey says that
Putnam had his own daughter accuse Jacobs of witchcraft so that Putnam could buy off Jacobs' land
when he hangs.
WBHS Fall Prod. of The Crucible- September 2007
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
7
Saturday
Sunday
1
2
8
9
15 ACT Testing
16
3
4
5
6
10 FULL SCHOOL
DRAMA MEETING:
2:45-3:30pm
Freshmen
Orientation:
3:30-5pm
11
12
13
17 Production
application forms
DUE to Mr.
Greene by 3pm
w/ parent/
guard. signatures
18
The Crucible
Auditions- in the
Forum 3-6pm
19
The Crucible
callbacks (if
necessary) 34:30pm in the
Forum
20 Initial cast list
by 2:40pm to
accept role.
1st Full Cast Mtg
(FCM), read thrgh
script 3-5:30pm
21 1st Design
Meeting @
2:30pm, FCM in
Forum 3-5:30pm
22
Act I blocking,
scenes TBA
23
24
FCM 3-5p
Measurements
taken, blocking
Act 1, scenes TBA
25
FCM 3-5p, Act 1,
scenes TBA
26 WBHS Open
House, 7pm
Finish Act 1
blocking, scenes
TBA
27 Early Release
Day
Start blocking A2,
scenes TBA
28
FCM 3-5p
2nd Design Mtg.
Block A2, Scenes
TBA
29
finish blocking A2
& review
blocking, 10a-2p
30
14
Holiday
Observance
(no school)
Holiday
Observance
(no school)
WBHS Fall Prod. of The Crucible-October 2007
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
1
Leads 3-5p
catch up day &
review blocking,
scenes TBA
2 FCM 3-5p
Review blocking,
scenes TBA
3 FCM 3-5p
Review blocking,
scenes TBA
Leads 6-8p
review blocking,
scenes TBA
4 FCM 3-5p
Review blocking,
scenes TBA
Leads 6-8p
review blocking,
scenes TBA
5 3rd Design Mtg.
Leads 3-5:30p run
A1, scenes TBA
6 SAT Testing
Leads 12-3p, run
A2, scenes TBA
7
8
Leads 3-5p fix
major problem
areas, scenes TBA
9
FCM 3-5p, run A1
w/ citizens
Leads 6-8p polish
A1 scenes
10
FCM 3-5p, run
group
choreography,
Leads polish A2
scenes
11
FCM, run A2 w/
citizens
Leads 6-8p, polish
remaining prob.
Scenes, TBA
12
Final Design Mtg.
Leads 4-6p,
Polishing, scenes
TBA
13
FCM 10a-12p run
mult. Scenes, TBA
publicity blitz
Leads 1:30-4p
tape promo
14
15
FCM 3-5p
Work various
scenes, TBA
16 Prism Concert
Rehearsal 7-9pm
17 Prism Concert
Perf- call 6pm
Leads 3-4:30p
work various
scenes TBA
19
FCM 3-5p Work
various scenes
TBA, Leads 6-8p
work various
scenes TBA
20 Pre-Act
Testing (junior
available after
1:30pm)
FCM 1-4p
Leads 10a-4p
21
Leads 3-5p, run
various scenes
TBA
18
FCM 3-5p
Work various
scenes TBA
Leads 6-8p work
scenes TBA
22
FCM 3-5:30p, Run
Through Show
Leads 6:30-8:30p,
scenes TBA
23
FCM 3-5:30p, fix
problem areas
Leads 6:30-8:30p
scenes TBA
24
FCM 3-5:30p
Run Act 1
Leads 6:30-8:30p
scenes TBA
25 Early Release
Day (non-drivers
schedule rides)
FCM 3-5:30p
Run Act 2, Leads
6:30-8:30p TBA
26
FCM 3-6p runthrough show
27 STARVING
ARTIST/TECH REH.
FCM 10am-7pm
Please schedule
testing for
another date!
28
29 1st Dress
Rehearsal 2:3010pm
30 2nd Dress
Rehearsal 2:3010pm
31 Final Dress
Rehearsal
2:30-7pm
WBHS Fall Prod. of The Crucible-November 2007
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
1
OPENING NIGHT
Actor call:
5:30pm
2
2nd Perf.maintain focus!
Actor Call 6pm
3
Final Perf.Enjoy it!
Actor Call 6pm
ACTOR STRIKE
10:30-11:30pm
4
5 Tech Strike
2:45-5pm,
(Actors highly
encouraged to
attend)
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30