Review: Sacramento Contemporary Dance Theatre's CRUCIBLE and HOWL Highlight Modern Issues

The Sacramento Contemporary Dance Theatre (SCDT) is again taking their talent to the international stage under the artistic direction of Jacob Gutierrez-Montoya. Their adaptation of the Arthur Miller classic The Crucible, titled Crucible, premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland last summer. SCDT will be reprising that experience later this year after a successful showing in February at The Sofia.

Crucible showcases Gutierrez-Montoya’s signature creativity, combining athleticism with mystical magic. He is an expert at setting tone and even makes an appearance himself as the judge. The audience enters to a smoky, low-lit space filled with silent dancers in Puritan garb holding lanterns. We are reminded of Arthur Miller’s quote, “It is rare for people to be asked the question which puts them squarely in front of themselves.” Yet, asked we are. What would you do if you were put in the position of doing what is right or doing what is safe?

The eerie lighting and sound transport us to the seventeenth century, and we open to what appears to be a coven in the woods. It’s easy to convict a group by appearances alone, until we look at individuals.  Bryn Skaff and Alexis Powell are mesmerizing as Abigail Williams and Tituba, accuser and accused. The company tells the story so effectively through movement alone that no words are needed. Hanging rope adds to the hopelessness and injustice the accused faced. It’s a beautiful homage to a powerful piece of theatre and always relevant in a world where groups are still persecuted for being different.

SCDT next takes the stage at The Sofia on March 29th and 30th in Howl, a partnership with Women for Wolves. The performance is both a celebration of human interaction with nature and a call for wildlife conservation.

For more information on SCDT and future news, visit scdtheatre.org. For tickets to Howl, visit bstreettheatre.org.

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