If You GoWhat: “The Crucible.”When: 8 tonight and July 9-10; 7 p.m. Thursday; 2:30 p.m. Sunday and July 11.Where: MainStage, Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St.Admission: $10-$20.Phone: 267-8534.Website: www.theatrecentre.com.
By Debbie Blassingame
Correspondent
The Chattanooga Theatre Centre’s opening night performance of “The Crucible” brings theatergoers to a confrontation of emotion.
Anyone familiar with “The Crucible,” the Arthur Miller drama written in the 1950s and based on the events in the 1692 Salem, Mass., witch trials, knows and expects that downcast, empty sadness one feels after witnessing the somber and disgraceful events of this period in our nation’s development.
Written as a response, an antipathy to McCarthyism, Miller creates a classic, timeless profile of suspicion and ageless recognition of humanity’s recklessness and foolishness in matters dealing with the spirit of fear.
Director Chuck Tuttle’s cast of 21 includes eight making their CTC MainStage debut.
As the human side of the play unfolds, certain actors in this talented pool do rise to the occasion with hauntingly powerful performances. There are five in particular deserving special mention.
One is Shelia Wofford, a CTC veteran, who captures the spirit of Tituba. In the opening scene, Wofford sets the standard as she leads “the girls” into the catastrophic historical adventure. Wofford is a powerhouse on the stage.
Her strength in the character affords the girls the confidence for their excellent performances as well. Wofford’s characterization is unintimidated and free.
Adia Wilde, 10, plays Betty Parris, the daughter of Minister Samuel Parris. Adia stands out with her obvious ability to steal the show in her MainStage debut performance with facial expressions and body language of a future pro.
Lebron Benton, another veteran of the CTC stage, is able to capture the audience in his creative development of Minister John Hale. At first, the unlikeable Hale is perfectly portrayed, as Benton’s entire physical being exerts negative connotations. As the play proceeds in plot development, so does Benton’s character. He makes his audience see the change. He makes them see his growth. He makes them see his pain. It is a great performance.
Jack Harkleroad assertively portrays Deputy Gov. Danforth. Harkleroad’s portrayal eerily conjures thoughts of politicians past, present and days yet to come.
The true show-stopping performance is that of Thomas E. Goddard in his debut with CTC. As the victim, John Proctor, Goddard is totally immersed in his character. The emotion and potency in his performance carries even into the curtain-call bow.
It is a great treat to have a talent such as Goddard on the CTC MainStage. Hopefully, many other roles and performances from him will follow.
Other cast members are Shanelle Newton, Leica Wilde, Sophia Zinkann, Annie Collins, Bennett Kutchins, Jonathan Nichols, Shirley Alderman, Lamar Bankston, Richard Bonnington, Claire Slavovsky, Denise Hardee Gossett, Phil Elkins, Amanda Medlin, Mark Edward Murray, Mike Hubbard and Don Strickland.
Staging is quite basic. Elements of a 17th-century Colonial-style town hall or church give way to exterior scenes of tree silhouettes created simply with lighting. Timelessness is retained with late 1950 to early 1960 costuming.
Members of the design team include Chuck Tuttle, scenic design; Thomas Goddard, lighting design; and Scott Dunlap, costume design.
The CTC audience choked back tears as the curtain came down on the opening-night performance of this classic masterpiece of warning. This warning to beware the spirit of fear, and the destructiveness and the devastation it can and will cause, seems quite relevant today with the many issues confronting us all.