The Crucible

Written by Arthur Miller

Narrated by Richard Dreyfuss, Stacy Keach and Full Cast

Richard Dreyfuss and Stacy Keach star in this full-cast performance of Arthur Miller’s classic The Crucible, a central work in the canon of American drama.

In the rigid theocracy of Salem, Massachusetts, rumors that women are practicing witchcraft galvanize the town. In a searing portrait of a community engulfed by panic - with ruthless prosecutors, and neighbors eager to testify against neighbor - The Crucible famously mirrors the anti-Communist hysteria that held the United States in its grip in the 1950’s. A Tony Award Winner for Best Play.

An L.A. Theatre Works full cast performance starring (in alphabetical order):

Richard Dreyfuss as Reverend John Hale

Stacy Keach as John Proctor

Ed Begley Jr. as Thomas Putnam

Michael York as Reverend Parris

Hector Elizondo as Giles Corey

Irene Aranga as Mercy Lewis

Rene Auberjonois as Deputy Governor Danforth

Georgia Brown as Rebecca Nurse

Jack Coleman as Marshal Herrick

Bud Cort as Ezekiel Cheever

Judyann Elder as Tituba

Fionnula Flanagan as Reverend John Hale

Ann Hearne as Susanna Walcott

Carol Kane as Mary Warren

Anna Sophie Loewenberg as Betty Parris

Marian Mercer as Mrs. Ann Putnam

Franklyn Seales as Judge Hathorne

Madolyn Smith as Abigail Williams

Joe Spano as Francis Nurse

• Language: English
• Publisher: L.A. Theatre Works
• Release date: Jun 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9781580814355

Arthur Miller

Arthur Miller was born in New York City in 1915. After graduating from the University of Michigan, he began work with the Federal Theatre Project. His first Broadway hit was All My Sons, closely followed by Death of a Salesman, The Crucible and A View from the Bridge. His other writing includes Focus, a novel; The Misfits, first published as a short story, then as a cinema novel; In Russia, In the Country, Chinese Encounters (all in collaboration with his wife, photographer Inge Morath) and 'Salesman' in Beijing, non-fiction; and his autobiography, Timebends, published in 1987. Among his other plays are: Incident At Vichy, The Creation of the World and Other Business, The American Clock, The Last Yankee, and Resurrection Blues. His novella, Plain Girl, was published in 1995 and his second collection of short stories, Presence, in 2007. He died in February 2005 aged eighty-nine.

Reviews for The Crucible

[Kristin Celio · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Act IV was the best. The book was very chaotic and confusing but when I read the Cliffs Notes then it made sense.

[SitaBelen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Bestial and fascinating in equal parts.
Intense in the dialogues and dramatic in the events.
A work of art.

Little more to add except that I couldn't separate myself from its pages until the final curtain fall.

The power of manipulation by some girls and the ignorance of an entire community make this text evoke a dreadful fear, despite the absence of witches.

Sublime. (Translated from Spanish)

[flor · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well, the truth is I don't know what to say, or how to write the review, you have to read it! It captivates you while you read. The only good thing to say about "The Crucible" is that it is a tragedy written in four acts in which Miller uses the witch hunt that took place in Salem, which started in 1950, its blacklists, the curtailing of freedoms, the lack of presumption of innocence, the obligation of the accused to inform on others to save their own skin, etc. Miller exposes how in moments of collective hysteria, whether due to fear of Satan or fear of the political system, the dreadful way in which the inhabitants of that community reacted, people who took the opportunity to settle personal scores, take over their neighbor's farm, or accumulate power in the most despicable manner. (Translated from Spanish)

[Sihaya ??‍♀️??‍♀️??? · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An excellent play that reflects how far cruelty and people's passivity can go. I recommend watching the 1996 movie The Crucible. (Translated from Spanish)

[fabio.escudero · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An excellent book, not only for understanding what happened in Salem in the 17th century but also for comprehending all types of persecution, whether for religious, ethnic, moral reasons, and a long etcetera. It has a phrase that I think is brilliant: “The witch hunt was an extreme manifestation of the panic that seized all social classes when the scale began to tip in favor of greater personal freedom.” For learning and reflecting when fanaticism blinds reason, applicable to any era. (Translated from Spanish)

[Neiyons Romero · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A ROQUE IN MY LIBRARY

I know that some purist readers will complain, but I don't care.
I just placed "The Crucible" next to my favorite dystopian novels. Until now, I had Arthur Miller's famous work in the logical "Theater" section, but not anymore; starting today it will accompany the dystopias of Heinlein, Orwell, Huxley, Bradbury, Zamiatin, etc.

Strictly speaking, dystopia does not necessarily have to take place in the future, and no one can deny that the reality of "The Crucible..." takes place in what (at least) we can call "a far from ideal society."

The political persecution suffered by Miller led to this play as a response. I categorize "The Crucible" as a "dystopian" work for depicting a future very close to us despite being set in 1692.

Today, as always, witch trials are fueled and executed by the state ;) (Translated from Spanish)

[llopezbautista · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Witches of Salem has the power to give you a sense of panic because of how good it is. It has both form and content. It opens the door for you to know another world in which not all of us are strangers because we have listened. Ignorance stands out at many moments. I consider it an easy-to-digest classic. (Translated from Spanish)