Arthur Miller's The Crucible. (NY) Tickets

I saw the revival in 2002 and it was fantastic as well with great casting (Liam Needon/Laura Linney) BUT this one is diffrent. It almost like we're really part of the show. Partly maybe because we were seated in front row. The play is breathtaking. Saoirse Ronan and the rest of the cast are brilliant. A must see!

This is an extraordinary play. The subtle yet compelling background "music" enhances the already tense milieu. I don't know how Ben Whishaw maintains his stamina throughout, and the other actors as well--it is so physical and haunting and provocative. What a timeless play with its theme of condemning those who seem different from us. It's the "us" who need scrutiny, not these supposed witches, and this is conveyed with drama and cruelty.

The Crucible is a well-acted plan with phenomenal performances by it cast members especially by Ben Whishaw who really should be in the promos. Likewise, Saoirse Ronan dominated every scene she was in (even if she forgot about her American accent in the first few seconds at the start) in a performance that was reminiscent of her Academy Award nominated role in Atonement. However, I do find the direction of the play questionable. The entire play takes place inside a classroom setting even though the script make references to other location. John Protector's wife looks like she's old enough to be John's mother. Supernatural elements are show instead of being ambiguous about them.

I sat isn the third row. I could barely hear them, and I have good hearing. I was thoroughly bored by the actors just standing around dialoguing. I learned nothing. I was confused too.

This is my favorite rendering of Arthur Miller's masterpiece. Ivo Van Hove's interpretation of The Crucible is stripped down, raw and emotional. No fancy costumes, sets, or overproduced music, just fine acting and a transforming experience. Because there are no distractions, you focus on the acting and emotions, with a story that could happen in colonial Salem or present day Washington, DC. Ben Wishaw doesn't fit the stereotypical version of Miller's John Proctor, but he makes the part new, complex, and believable. We were fortunate enough to have front row center seats and could see every emotion and expression on Wishaw's face. It was one of the best performances I have ever witnessed on Broadway. The amazing cast is perfect, from Saoirse Ronan to Sophie Okonedo, each one capturing perfectly the moral conflicts in their actions. This show has a limited engagement at the Walter Kerr Theater, so get your tickets before you miss this show.

I didn't know until the day of this performance that the period setting had been taken away and, at first, I was a bit concerned. However. This only increases the impact this play will have on you. I was expecting an amazing performance from Saoirse Ronan and that's exactly what she delivered. The real surprise was Ben Wishaw. In previous versions of this play, I've never found the John Procter part to be one which allows an actor to really show a wider range of his skills. Ben Wishaw is phenomenal in this.

I'd highly recommend seeing the play if you can. It resonates with our crazy times and there's really not much better than watching someone as talented as Ben Whishaw make magic onstage right in front of you. Get the best seats you can. As close to the stage as possible. You won’t regret it.

This is a magical, intellectual play dealing with many timeless societal issues and especially religiosity and power. Every single actor and actress was superb, most especially Ben Wishaw, and they brought depth and intensity to each of their roles. Sadly, ever so sadly, the production is horrible! "Updated" but really dislocated to some modern dull, meaningless classroom with contemporary dress (the performers needed only to go to their closets!) thus disrespecting the audience's ability to identify with the authentic period and stripping away the timeless classical aura of the play. Plus, in the current pathetic horror vacui mindset, the incredibly precise and moving dialogue had to be amplified by background music like some cheap movie, in case you weren't listening or didn't get the point! But the greatest directorial mistake and problem was to make manifest dramatic paranormal effects on stage when it is essential to the most basic meaning of the play that all the conjured phenomena is purely ephemeral and imagined --by every one, especially the audience. Once again, a self important director thought he knew better than the original playwright and arrogantly placed himself between the work of art and the audience instead of accurately and faithfully just presenting it and preserving its subtlety and magic.

brilliant.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The performance was very subpar. For such an incredible play, I was unexpectedly disappointed with this production. For one, the cast was very hard to hear. It seemed they were not used to not having mics. To overcompensate, many of the actors resorted to yelling their lines rather than acting them. The ensemble was very rigid in their movements, likely a result of the director's poor and often useless blocking. I know the story very well and yet found it difficult to understand in this show. There were also a lot of strange dramatics that were added that were perhaps an attempt to be artistic but rather made the story confusing and cheap. The audience even laughed at a lot of major scenes, which shouldn't warrant laughter. I also couldn't see everything! The blocking had the actors on the extreme sides of the stage at times, almost backstage. So anyone sitting not directly in the center missed a lot of the action.

Whishaw and Okendo are delivering riveting, heart wrenching performances steeped in the truth of Miller's text. This is such a great American play it is thrilling to to see it's power played out in such a wonderful production. I appreciated Glass' score much more than the "Exorcist" special effects that in my opinion are feeble and pointless compared to the terror created by the cast and staging. The blatant artificiality of these effects really detract and distract the focus and Miller's intent.