Interview: CFCArts' Director, Donald Rupe, Gives Inside Look at THE CRUCIBLE, Opening 1/22

Salem, McCarthyism, witch hunts, high-school literature, Winona Ryder... all phrases that come to mind when someone mentions the 1953 Arthur Miller play, THE CRUCIBLE. As we enter Central Florida Community Arts' opening weekend for this classic drama, BroadwayWorld got together with Director, Donald Rupe and Actor, Jake Teixeira, to find out how CFCArts plans to bring new life to THE CRUCIBLE and make this production a success in Central Florida.

BWW: I understand THE CRUCIBLE is somewhat unique to the typical style of show selected by CFCArts. Why was this play chosen?

Donald Rupe: The Crucible is a completely new style of play for CFCArts, but part of what we want to accomplish through CFCArts Theatre is to do just that. We want to branch out and tackle a wide variety of plays and musicals that speak to many different audiences.

BWW: You are probably aware that there is going to be a revival of THE CRUCIBLE on Broadway later this Spring. Did this weigh into your decision to perform the show this season?

DR: I had heard that it was coming back, but that wasn't part of the decision-making process. What really excites me as a director is putting a new spin on works that we are all familiar with; finding a modern voice and a fresh perspective on things we all thought we knew already. Some people love to see things tilted on their heads a bit; others like classic stagings more-but I think The Crucible is a timeless play that people come back to because it says things we need to hear, and I think we need to hear those things today (which may be why they're bringing it back to New York City as well).

BWW: What age group would be most interested in this production and what should be the minimum age for attendance?

DR: 13 and up, but this play has a wide appeal in part because so many of us read it in High School English classes, and also because a lot of folks have a genuine interest in the Salem Witch Trials.

BWW: What, if any, present-day fears and injustices do the lead actors draw upon for their preparation and performance?

Jake Teixeira: The actors tend to draw from the injustices that the actual people from these trials faced, through their research. Many of the characters were real people. However, there are many correlations in present-day fears and injustices. Just as the puritans generalize and blame what they don't understand on the devil, many people in society generalize and blame the media.

BWW: What do you hope to convey to the audience members through this play?

DR: I do have some specific things I'm trying to say, of course, but the thing I love most about Theatre is that each audience member takes away a different experience. Through the way I've staged this show and through my concept, I think each person will take away something different and will have a unique experience at the play, which is one of my major goals. Another major goal of mine is to showcase just how much of the play is historically accurate. There are some major plotlines that weren't based in reality, of course, but many of the occurrences and characters and secret motivations for the trials are totally accurate, which is fascinating to me.

BWW: In one of the first critiques of this famous historical play, Brooks Atkinson (drama critic of The New York Times for 31 years), said "It may be that Mr. Miller has tried to pack too much inside his drama..." How do you feel about this statement? Any truth?

DR: When The Crucible opened originally in New York, it was critically panned but pretty successful even without critical success. It may have been because the show was so obviously addressing McCarthyism and critics were legitimately afraid to praise the work for fear of persecution like that which Arthur Miller went through himself. Some of the things that Arthur Miller included that people felt were 'unnecessary' are bits of history. Would it be possible to cut the Putnams' story from the play without the audience noticing? Sure. But historically the Putnams were instrumental in what started the trials-after researching for the play and finding these little bits of history, I think Arthur Miller saw the value in the little things---and while he added some fiction to the play, I don't think he wanted to do too much to change history.

BWW: THE CRUCIBLE has been criticized in the past for being too long (average 3.5 hour runtime). What choice(s) are you making to ensure audiences stay engaged?

DR: Well, you'll have to see the show to find out, BUT I have taken several steps. I always try to bring a fresh perspective to the show, and this time isn't any different. Our show is running a little shorter than that (about 3 hours), but I personally think people will be okay with it---we watch movies that are that long (and without an intermission!) You've never seen a production of The Crucible quite like this one.

BWW: What is your take on how Abigail truly feels toward John Proctor?

DR: In John, Abigail has found, she thinks, the answer to all of her life's difficulties. For the Puritans, life was so different than it is for us today. Abigail's parents were killed by Native Americans. Orphaned, she lives with her uncle, the minister, and is held to impossible religious standards. The Puritans were constantly afraid (of illnesses that couldn't be explained or cured, of weather that they couldn't predict, of Native American attacks in the middle of the night, and most of all they knew that at any moment God could punish them for their wrongdoings), and one of the reasons we now believe the Witch trials occurred was because these people were driven to hysterics by the hardships of their world. John treated Abigail like a woman; he spoke to her like an adult. He was the father-figure she needed, the lover she dreamed of, and safety. He was her everything.

BWW: Do you think human beings are capable of evolving beyond the type of fear and judgment evident throughout THE CRUCIBLE?

DR: I think human beings are capable of anything...but I think we see examples of this behavior every single day. Will we rise above it somehow? I hope so.

BWW: What is coming up for CFCArts this season?

DR: CFCArts Theatre opens the hilarious musical I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change February 19-March 6, and closing our first season with The Sound of Music, April 1-18. Tickets on sale now at www.cfcarts.com/events.

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Performance dates for THE CRUCIBLE are 1/22, 1/23, 1/29, 1/30, 2/5 and 2/6 at 7:30pm, as well as 1/24, 1/31 and 2/7 at 3:00pm. Industry night ($12 tickets) will be 2/4 at 7:30pm. All seating is general admission; you can purchase tickets in advance for $15 or pay $18 at the door. THE CRUCIBLE is being performed at Central Christian Church located at 250 SW Ivanhoe Blvd. in Orlando, Florida. Call (407) 937-1800 ext. 710, visit www.cfcarts.com/events or email justin.gregory@cfcommunityarts.com for more information.

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