Wolfpack Theatre presents classic drama, ‘The Crucible’

Arthur Miller’s powerful story of fear, integrity and the consequences of mass hysteria will take center stage in a Wolfpack Theatre Company production of “The Crucible,” May 19 and 20.  

“The Crucible” is a gripping dramatization inspired by the Salem Witch Trials. The play tells the story of a group of townspeople accused of witchcraft, focusing on Elizabeth Proctor and her husband, John. As fear spreads through the community, John struggles with his past mistakes, including his connection to accuser Abigail Williams, while trying to prove the truth and save his wife. 

Though rooted in 17th-century events, Miller’s play was written as an allegory for the political climate of the 1950s, when fear-driven communist accusations and blacklisting dominated American society. That dual lens, historical and contemporary, is a central theme of this production. 

When Miller wrote “The Crucible,” he used the Salem Witch Trials to reflect his own experience during the Red Scare. But the play also explores how quickly people can "break charity" with one another — placing personal gain over truth — and how that can spiral into collective hysteria. 

“This play has the capacity to be one of the boldest shows ever done in the Wolfpack Theatre,” student director Tregan Blades said. “While elements of the story are admittedly fictitious, like Abigail being 17 when she was actually 11, or Tituba leading a voodoo dance in the forest, these elements all coalesce into a story about real society.”   

The themes of “The Crucible” extend far beyond the historical setting. 

“This play has something very real to say — and something very pertinent in the world we live in today,” Blades said. “Theatre should be proud and bold. There’s always something to say, and together it’s our job to tell this story.” 

Presented in an intimate black box theater, the staging invites audiences to step inside the Puritan courtroom and examine each character and the cost of accusation and silence. 

The play is produced by the Advanced Acting Ensemble class, which gives students the opportunity to develop character portrayal skills and discipline. Along with the production, students perform a variety of monologues and ensemble performances to learn how to analyze a script and understand the role of the actor in the production process. 

The cast includes Luda Khrupina, Lincoln Shumard, Grace Miller, Abigail Haley, Lily Fason, Naemi Creighton, Noah Horn, Chloe Franklin, Megan Mikelson, Zach Nases, K Perigen,  Theron Wilton, Fenyx Colby, Kaylin Stein, Trevor Hammer, Brett Pilon, Parker Scherer and Eli Sanderson Strutz. 

The tech crew is made up of Isabelle McKoy, Fenyx Colby, Lillie Groom, Ben Weddle, Peyton McCoy, Micah Picardo, Andrea Dorsett, Gracin Sears and Bosley Wakefield. 

Performances start at 6:33 p.m. in the Wolfpack Theatre at Glacier, 375 Wolfpack Way, Kalispell.  

Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children, students and senior citizens. Tickets may be purchased online at GoFan.co, at Photo Video Plus located at 284 Fourth Ave. W., Kalispell and at the door.