February 29 - March 3 + extra shows March 8/9, 1996
MacKenzie Theatre, Charlottetown
Written by: Arthur Miller
Director: David Sherren
Producer: Gerry Gray
Stage Manager: Wallena Higgins
Cast:
Proctor: David Sherren
Abigail: Jennifer Anderson
Other significant roles (full cast - 20 actors):
Nils Ling
Ed Rashed
Mae Ames
Gerry Gray
Laurie Murphy
Raymond Moore
Mark Stevenson
Rob Thomson
Rebecca Black
This is the powerful drama about the hysteria and witchery trials which tore Salem Massachusetts apart in 1692 … written during the witch-hunting McCarthy era of the early 1950s.
It is very emotionally intense … After all, it reflects a historic perversion of a society which resulted in 19 deaths of innocent men and women. A community turned on its own members — as the United States did in its paranoia about communism … and as various societies continue to do as they come under pressures of some sort.
Interestingly, ACT experienced a bit of a crisis as we planned to put on this classic. There was a sense of risk — it was a relatively big production, calling for really skilled acting by quite a few people. There was questioning of how much audience we would get for such a serious play, and that led to the question of where we should stage it — what venue we could afford. Eventually, the decision was made to proceed, and to do it at the Mack. The worry evaporated as the planned shows sold out, and to meet the demand we had to schedule another weekend of performances.
From the Buzz review: “a good production of a great play, garnering the greatest response to Island community theatre we’ve seen in some time.”