UPDATED: Oct. 10, 2017 at 4:47 p.m.

Witchcraft, affairs and confessions will all be brought to Syracuse come Friday, the 13th.

Arthur Miller’s thrilling tragedy “The Crucible” opens at The Central New York Playhouse on Friday at 8 p.m. The CNY Playhouse, a nonprofit theater house located in DeWitt, will host 10 performances of the show throughout the month of October. Tickets are available for $15 to $17 on CNY Playhouse’s website or by calling the box office.

Set in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692, “The Crucible” is a tale of the Salem witch trials. Arthur Miller wrote “The Crucible” in 1953 as a metaphor to draw parallels between the Salem witch trials and the Red Scare.

“I didn’t realize that (Miller) was in the middle of that crisis while he was writing this,” said Shannon Tompkins, director of the play. “This was his way of writing about that pretty horrible situation without actually saying anything.”

Korrie Taylor, the actress playing Elizabeth Proctor, pitched “The Crucible” to CNY Playhouse last year. When asked to find a director for the show, she reached out to Shannon Tompkins.

The actress said she thought a woman’s viewpoint would be a fresh take on the play because normally the play is directed by a man.

“CNY Playhouse doesn’t choose their season just by themselves, they allow people to come in and pitch what they would like to do,” Tompkins said. “So when Korrie got together with me and pitched the show, she got me interested in it.”

Courtesy of AB Photography

With several musicals under her belt, the production is Tompkins’ first professional play. Her past experience includes direction and choreography for numerous high school and community theater productions.

The production has rehearsed for more than six weeks, three to four days a week. The play has four acts.

“It’s one of those shows where even though it’s really long, you get so wrapped up in the story that you forget how long it is,” Taylor said. “This had been my favorite show for as long as I can remember. Every year I used to go to Salem when I was little.”

Also starring in the production is Mia DeGironimo as Abigail Williams, Ben Sills as John Proctor, and Abel Searor as Reverend John Hale. In an effort to attract all age groups in the central New York community, the play was open casting and offered roles to younger actors as well.

“I always really wanted to audition for a show here … but they don’t really do a lot of kids shows,” said Samantha Burton, a high school student playing Susanna Walcott. “So when I found out there were teenage roles, I came to the audition.”

In the past, Taylor has played the manipulative Abigail Williams in abridged versions of the play. Now, she tackled the role of the virtuous Elizabeth Proctor.

“I thought that Elizabeth would be a breeze, but she is one of the most complicated characters that I have ever been able to play in my entire life,” Taylor said. “She’s almost unlikeable when you first meet her, then by the end of it you have to side with her.”

Published on October 9, 2017 at 9:07 pm

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