Riverland Community College Theatre continues its 2014-15 season with the classic drama “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller.

Winner of the 1953 Tony Award for Best Play, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is one of the great classics of the American stage. An exciting drama about the Puritan purge of witchcraft in old Salem, the play was Miller’s response to the McCarthy “witch hunts” of suspected communists in the 1950s, of which Miller himself was a target. This timeless parable attacks the evils of mindless persecution and the terrifying power of false accusations.

Riverland Theatre Director Lindsey Duoos Williams directs The Crucible. The set and lighting designer is Mark Spitzer. The costumes are by Carley Carranza and Jennifer Wiebrand. The production is stage managed by Ian Bearden.

“Though The Crucible is set in 1692 during the Salem witch trials, Arthur Miller wrote the play in 1953 in response to the House Un-American Activities Committee investigations and hearings,” says director Lindsey Duoos Williams. “The characters in the play are real people, many of whom lost their lives due to accusations of witchcraft. Then, two hundred and fifty years later, a similar ‘witch hunt’ was held accusing Americans of communism, and though there were no hangings, lives and careers were ruined.”

“Certainly The Crucible is a great work of American theatre, and that alone would be reason for us to include it in our season,” continues Williams. “However, what drew me to this play was that the themes are still so relevant today. We still see false accusations and fear mongering, but now everything is amplified because of the internet and the pervasiveness of our news media. History repeated itself in the 1950s, and it could be repeating itself again—so what can we do to stop it?”

The cast of The Crucible includes Jake Berndt (Blue Earth) as Reverend Hale, Jodie Bratager (Rochester) as Mercy Lewis, Sarah Collett (Austin) as Ruth Putnam, Ben Deines (Austin) as Giles Corey, Ellie Dyke (Austin) as Mary Warren, Alexa Ferguson (Lyle) as Sarah Good, Randy Forster (Austin) as Francis Nurse, Karina Hernandez (St. James) as Tituba, Tyler Holz (New Richland) as Willard, Zack Huggan (Austin) as Thomas Putnam, Krista Johnson (Austin) as Rebecca Nurse, Kylie Larson (Austin) as Betty Parris, Emily McAlister (Austin) as Susanna Walcott, Lindsey McAlister (Austin) as Abigail Williams, Jacob Mueller (Austin) as Ezekiel Cheever, Claire Olson (Austin) as Elizabeth Proctor, Kristy Marie Possin (New Richland) as Joanna Preston, Amoe Sato (Japan) as Ann Putnam, Robert Stangler (Northfield) as Reverend Parris, Jonathan Stowell (Rochester) as Judge Hathorne, Bry Thorson (Luverne) as Elizabeth Proctor understudy, Vic Wylde (Austin) as John Proctor, Danny Ziebell (Kasson) as Hopkins, and James Zschunke (Austin) as Deputy-Governor Danforth.

The Crucible will be performed February 25, 26, 27, and 28 at 7:30 p.m., and March 1 at 2 p.m. at the Frank W. Bridges Theatre on the Austin Campus.

Individual tickets to The Crucible are $13 and currently on sale at www.riverland.edu/tickets 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The online ticketing system allows customers to choose their seats and pay by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover. Tickets may also be purchased at the Riverland Box Office, located in room E107 in the East Building of the Austin campus. Box office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and one hour before performances. Riverland students receive two free tickets to each performance with a valid student ID. Contact the box office at 507-433-0595 or by emailing boxoffice@riverland.edu.

The Crucible is appropriate for ages 12 and up. Riverland Theatre strives to provide quality productions that are entertaining and challenging to both the audience and the artists. Because we reach such a diverse audience, some audience members may find some subject matter, language, or situations objectionable. If you have concerns about a specific production, we encourage you to become familiar with the material before attending the performance.

Riverland’s Theatre Department is a high-energy performance-oriented program. Plays produced vary from classical tragedy to modern comedy and from full-scale large cast musicals in intimate small cast plays. Students are encouraged to get involved in all areas of theatre production including, but not limited to, acting, stage managing, set building and painting. Strong academic offerings provide challenges in and out of the classroom.