The Crucible
at Stone Bridge High School

Reviewed on December 5, 2015

Idan Woodruff
Lake Braddock Secondary School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Loudoun

Stone Bridge High School impressed on Saturday in their performance of "The Crucible". They created a freshly moving performance of one of the most well-known plays of the last century, yet retained the relevance of the originally McCarthy era message. The student cast was deeply consistent in their talent, supported with equal force by the technical aspects of the show. The overall aesthetic of the show was starkly black and white; even the actors were painted in gray scale makeup, but the risk of robbing the show of color payed off valiantly, serving as the perfect imagery for the clear cut morals of Salem's Puritan society. The theme required collaboration between Olivia Knight and Sara Wolfley's costume crew and the makeup team of Jackie Dorman and Alora Scofield, each strategically placing accents of red on those accused of witchcraft causing them to stand out to the audience as marked and separate. The crimson contagion continued as a cooperative effort as the ingeniously constructed set, molded by Katie Bushman and Matt Miller, smoothly rotated to reveal the next act's battle ground, words of scripture on the walls becoming increasingly tainted by the color red.

The show was led by the dynamic pair of Maggie Good as Elizabeth Proctor, and Caleb Rouse playing her husband John Proctor. Each was an equally emotive and forceful actor, but the convincing changes in their relationship was especially gripping. The couple made the shift from tensely distant and strained to a devoted, deeply loving duo, isolated from common sense by the majority of Salem.

The character arc of Reverend Hale was portrayed especially effectively by Livia Wolfer, balancing a majority of the few comedic lines in the show on top of a demanding emotional struggle. Her evolution of the character's awareness of the world was incredibly moving, making the horror and despair at the culmination of the show tangible. Wolfer was a convincing male character, a challenge also conquered by Paisley LoBue in the role of Deputy Governor Danforth. LoBue's distinctive diction and abrasive air of educated authority created a strong characterization of Danforth from the moment she stepped on stage.

The entire cast featured sparks of talent throughout every scene, from Sydney Fox's subtlety in communicating Abigail's conscious machinations to manipulate the town, and Taylor Stevens's very genuine Ezekiel Cheever.

The angel Raphael was quoted in the play to have promised good to any who spoke the truth. If that is so, the cast and crew of The Crucible have many good things coming to them for the truth they shared in their performance.

Liz Barr
Lake Braddock Secondary School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Loudoun

Across the stage is utter silence. Tension builds as everyone waits eagerly for the confession of witchcraft. Stone Bridge High School brings Arthur Miller's gripping, emotional drama The Crucible to life, with all the hysteria and emotion of the witch trials.

The Crucible is centered in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, and Puritan values are ingrained deep into society. Stepping out of line or acting out of the ordinary is severely punished. When a group of young girls is seen dancing in the woods, they panic and cry witchcraft, beginning to accuse all their neighbors of being witches. Hysteria runs rampant through the town, disrupting the lives of everyone. Every moment is filled with drama, and the incredibly talented, incredibly cohesive cast never allowed the action to stop until the peak of the final scene. The show was also set in a unique concept: black and white. All the sets, props, costumes, and even actors were entirely grayscale, except for the occasional appearance of the color red, meant to symbolize accusation of witchcraft.

Leading the way were Caleb Rouse as John Proctor and Maggie Good as Elizabeth Proctor. Rouse portrayed the change in character from a carefree rationalist to a defeated man emotionally torn over his morals. A driving force was the evolving chemistry between Rouse and Good. At first there was a distance between them, like a cloud of frigid air. But as the play progressed, they grew closer and more comfortable with each other, communicating without words, fighting for the other, ultimately culminating in an emotional reunion before Proctor's execution and a kiss the audience had been waiting half an act for. Rouse and Good's emotional chemistry made it feel like the couple was falling in love again.

Sydney Fox did a captivating job as the manipulative Abigail Williams. Always a commanding presence onstage, Fox made the character's thoughts clear even when she was not the center of attention; Abigail always looked to be on alert, or to be scheming her next move. Livia Wolfer (playing a male role) also garnered attention as Reverend Hale. With the right balance of drama and a few comedic lines, Wolfer began as a stiff authority figure whose experiences wore this character down into a man who simply wanted to save lives. Karen Zipor was brought to the center of the stage as Mary Warren in the second half of the play, fear clear on her face during her interrogation and emotional breakdown. Also dominating the second half was Paisley LoBue (Deputy Governor Danforth). The ultimate authority figure, LoBue took control of the courtroom with a loud, booming voice that asserted Danforth's position and forced everyone to listen. These supporting characters and the rest of the cast seized the audience's attention and never let go.

The set was simple, yet powerful. It was constructed of multiple walls that rotated per scene, with bible verses and phrases in large black letters across them. As each scene went on, more red was added to the words, emphasizing that theme. The sound, though minimal, was seamless. The songs during scene changes were sweet yet ominous, and the drum rolling in the final scene provided a dramatic sense of finality.

This unique presentation of The Crucible was an impressive feat for a high school production. The actors managed a vast range of emotion, and the sheer pain in Elizabeth's eyes as the lights faded kept the audience engaged to the final word.

Corinne Kleinman
Wakefield School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com - Loudoun

In Stone Bridge High School's stark performance of Arthur Miller's "The Crucible," a child's accusation shatters a peaceful village, a tightly knit community spins out of control, and past sins terrorize the present.

"The Crucible" (1953) is a semi-fictionalized version of the Salem Witch Trials, written as an allegory for the indiscriminate finger-pointing of the McCarthy era. Miller, himself, was questioned in 1956 and convicted for not supplying the names of others at the meetings he attended.

His troubled story of jealousy, revenge, and sin grows unrelentingly dark when jealousy turns deadly, revenge seems unending, and sin appears to be the only redemption. For the Puritans, life exists only in black and white: you are a witch or you are a victim, and the fate of everyone in the village rests with a band of misguided girls whose accusations destroy lives and rip apart families.

Only the colors of black, white, and scarlet were visible on stage, and pervaded every aspect of Stone Bridge's performance. Enormous, commanding black-and-red quotations, many from the Ten Commandments, scrawled across the backdrop of the set and oversaw the growing destruction below. From makeup to costumes to props, not a single other color could be seen; grey fingernails and grey skin only added to the characters' loss of humanity - and yet, paradoxically, the stage crackled with life.

The energetic cast worked magnificently together; even actors who had few or no lines, but who stood on stage for much of the play, sparkled with repressed energy. The main actors were deeply committed and effortlessly recited their lines until the stage seemed to hum.

From the moment he burst onto the stage, Caleb Rouse infused the character of John Proctor with a complex dynamic of sarcasm, pride, and fallibility. The delightful chemistry between Rouse and Maggie Good (Elizabeth Proctor) poignantly depicted the only small bit of humanity left in the town.

Sydney Fox (Abigail Williams), in particular, twisted her face into fantastic, believable expressions, and remained always engaged in the scene, even during the long portions where she stood silent in the background. Whenever she was furious, her hands shook - and they shook often.

Livia Wolfer (Rev. Hale) developed from a well-intentioned character into a serious man, grappling to right the wrongs he had inflicted on so many people. Wolfer's presentation of Hale's inner conflict and her dedication to the role was clear in every concerned glance and heartfelt, desperate plea.

Paisley LoBue (Deputy Governor Danforth) deserves particular note. She conquered the challenge of playing a powerful, forceful, completely misguided man trying to uphold the law. Impressively, LoBue did not have a mic, and did not need one; her diction was always clear and her projection stellar as she condemned the innocent and praised the guilty.

The cast's continued commitment to their roles brought each scene to life; in the courtroom, the air sparked with tension. Even in the bows, rather than a typical curtain call, the cast created a memorable tableau that stunned and brought the audience to its feet.

In an inverted world where the saints are sinners and the sinners are saints, Stone Bridge's magnificent portrayal of "The Crucible" dazzlingly reflected the pandemonium and turmoil that turned the small town of Salem into a name that would echo throughout history.