This Friday, Marblehead Little Theatre will present “The Crucible,” Arthur Miller’s play based on the Salem witch trials in 1692. In the story, a group of girls accuse local citizens of witchcraft, and soon others join the accusers. The hysteria is fueled by personal grudges and social inequities.
Marblehead resident (and town grant coordinator) Donna Cotterell has a lead role as Tituba.
“What I like most about the play is the fact that the characters are created from the lives of real people,” Cotterell told the Current. “The records of their deeds are easily researched if we want to find out more information about them. Were they alive today, these people would have been our neighbors and friends. Their descendants still live among us and we can visit the places they once walked.”
Cotterrel says Miller’s message in “The Crucible” is timeless.
“Written during the period of McCarthyism, it exposes how easily someone can get caught up in the hysteria of their own imagination. It shows us that none of us are immune to the hypocritical slings and arrows of falsehoods paraded as truth. It also brings to light the condemnation and death of innocent lives to protect deceitful hearts.
Marblehead teens Niko King-Mahan and Flynn MacCallum are also in the cast.
King-Mahan, a junior at Marblehead High School, plays Susanna Walcott, a young girl who accuses others of witchcraft. She’s looking forward to Friday.
”My favorite part about opening night will probably be getting on stage in front of people for the first time because we’ve been performing for each other for months and I’d really love an audience to see the wonderful work that my castmates are doing. I also love our costumes and I’d like to see people’s reactions to them,” she added.
MacCallum is a junior at St. John’s Prep in Danvers and has been in theatre since he was in sixth grade. This is his first performance outside of school and he’s excited for teachers, friends and family to come watch the show.
“The Crucible” is running for three weekends, and MacCallum is glad to have the time to really get into his character, Ezekiel Cheever, the clerk of the court. He loves the camaraderie of theater, especially opening night.
”The specific mood, it’s this shared high intensity moment, especially in theater. I feel a lot of love from castmates and crew. It’s a lot of love and there’s a unanimous feeling like we’ve all come together to create this beautiful thing. It’s a very specific feeling that I really love, and to be with all your castmates after working so hard to make the show,” he said.
Opening night is Friday, Oct. 3. All ticket and date information can be found at mltlive.com/.
