The Crucible rehearsals: Week 2

As those who’ve been involved in theatre can tell you,  there’s a lot more to rehearsals than simply learning lines and where to go on stage.   Many of the discussions that take place between director and actors center around something altogether different.  In any play, characters have to tread carefully as they make their way through the world of the story.  Each decision must be considered carefully because it determines how the audience will react to a character, and, by extension, how the audience will react to the story of the play. 

In week two of rehearsals, when lines and blocking (the actors’ movements) have been learned, more and more rehearsal time is spent mulling over these tightrope decisions.  For example, the first scene of the play finds John Proctor and Abigail Williams (played by David Alford and Kahle Reardon) alone in a room (well, alone but for the insentient Betty).  Abigail and John had a brief affair seven months prior, and while John has tried to put it behind him, Abigail still harbors 17-year-old dreams of the respected man whisking her away (in fact, this “love denied” plays an important part in the witch hunt to come).  In this initial scene of the play, John is tempted anew by Abigail.  René, the director, and the actors spent quite a bit of time talking about how much John could succumb to the temptation.  It’s one of those fine lines that we have to walk—between a good man who stumbled and a lecherous, deceitful liar. 

Elizabeth Proctor (played by Jenny Littleton) also has a difficult path to walk.  She is described as cold and distant, but she can never be *too* cold, or the audience will feel sorry for John and wonder why he doesn’t ditch her for the young, vibrant Abigail.  Deputy-Governor Danforth (played by Chip Arnold) is the head judge in charge of the witch trials, and his task is to play his part—not as the embodiment of pure evil but as a man totally dedicated to the law and the Right of the Court.  Almost every character has a bit of a balancing act to perform, and it’s vital that actors have a director they can trust. Actors may have some sense as to when they’re going too far or even in the wrong direction, but, onstage in the moment, they can never be totally certain.  They need an objective pair of eyes, looking at the whole in addition to their part.  René has an excellent eye and a strong overall vision, and she has earned actors’ trust through years of outstanding work.  During this second week of rehearsal, when decisions are made that will affect an audience’s entire experience, artists must have the courage and skill to embrace these “tightrope” decisions.

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