CCM to Opens 2013-14 Mainstage Season with THE CRUCIBLE, 10/2-6

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) opens its 2013-14 Mainstage Series with an intensely physical retelling of the American classic The Crucible. This epic drama of morality and justice runs Oct. 3 through 6 in CCM's Patricia Corbett Theater, with a preview performance at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2.

Under the direction of Richard Hess, Professor and Chair of CCM's Department of Drama, this production of The Crucible "is a post-modern expression" of the world we live in, says Hess. "There's no fanciness; it doesn't need to be tampered with. The Crucible was powerful when it was presented in a time and place where it resonated beyond the Salem witch trials."

Audience members will be surprised by the amount of physicality on stage. "This Crucible will not be stuffy people standing and talking and arguing. They're going to be running, tearing at each other, moving. It's pretty down and dirty," explains Hess. The physicality of the characters embodies the conflicts and moral dilemmas that they face. "It's not a pretty costume drama." Even the recognizable setting of Salem may feel different. The scenic design by Dana Hall, second-year scenic design graduate student, will be stark and very clean with a three-story motorized wall that moves throughout the performance.

Joe Markesbery, senior, plays the role of John Proctor, while Abigail Williams is brought to life by sophomore Laura McCarthy. Anna Stapleton plays Elizabeth Proctor. "What I love so much about Richard's direction of this show is that one really gets a sense of the hysteria, betrayal and selfish ambition that John Proctor fights so hard against," says Markesbery of his portrayal of John Proctor. "Proctor is a man who, because of his affair with Abigail, truly isn't sure if he is good or evil. Ultimately, every action he commits in the play is to defend the truth and bring evil to the light, but still he thinks himself a fraud. From peace and simplicity to betrayal and the destruction of a man and his good name: there's the tragedy for me."

Written in 1953 by American playwright Arthur Miller and set in 1692 in Salem, Mass., this drama tells a story of hysteria and witchcraft as young girls fall victim to strange hallucinations and seizures, which are attributed to the devil. Miller crafted the play as an allegory of McCarthyism when the U.S. government began blacklisting accused communists.

Performance Times

• 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2 (preview)
• 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3
• 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4
• 2 & 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5
• 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6

Tickets to The Crucible are $27-$31 for adults, $17-$20 for non-UC students and $15-$18 for UC students, with $12-$15 student rush tickets available for the Saturday matinee beginning at 1 p.m. on Oct. 5. Tickets to the Oct. 2 preview performance are just $12.

Customizable subscription packages are also available.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/crucible.html.

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