By Arianna Avitia-Gutierrez & Juliana Johnson

November 4th and 5th, the drama program premiered their production of “The Crucible,” a play written in 1953 by Arthur Miller about the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts. The school’s production featured not only student actors, but also student directors, producers, and stage crew. Drama teacher Stuart Fingeret led a large crew of GHC students to produce an emotional rendition of a classic.

The production’s actors were impressive and moving, to say the least. Seniors Liam Sacramento (John Proctor) and Mia Deukmedjian (Abigail Williams), as well as junior Ayanna Ordonez (Mary Warren) clearly stood out in their performances. The cast demonstrated the ability as actors to emotionally engage an audience and fully embody their characters. This was especially noticeable in Sacramento’s pivotal “Because it is my name!” scene, which inspired tears in many members of the audience, despite it being his very first production. 

The tone of the play itself is incredibly eerie and dark and sends its viewers to the past. The opening scene of the play, which featured girls dancing around with lanterns, was successful in setting the time period and transporting the audience directly to a dark night in Salem. 

Although the set design was minimal, especially in scenes like the courtroom, costume design made up for it, offering some form of visual setting for the audience. 

The play’s most show-stopping scene was in Act 2, when Sacramento’s character John Proctor is put on trial for signs of witchcraft. All the production’s heaviest hitters were on stage for the show’s climax, including some of the play’s best acting, notably Deukmedjian’s ability to scream bloody murder at the sight of invisible demons.                                                                                                                                                 

Overall, the cast and crew of “The Crucible” should be proud of the amazing, emotional production they put on. The play successfully brought new life to a story that many might already know.

If you were unable to catch “The Crucible” this semester, make sure to check out the program’s next production, “Shrek The Musical” coming spring of 2024.