The Crucible - Accent changes
The Crucible - Accent changes
#1The Crucible - Accent changes
Posted: 7/10/16 at 9:45am
When I went to see the 2nd preview of The Crucible I had mixed-to-negative feelings, but decided to give it another chance because my friend from out of town really wanted to see it, and I was curious to see how it had grown. I did enjoy it more the 2nd time, but not very many things had changed as far as I could tell.
There was, however, one huge difference between my 2 viewings: when I saw the 2nd preview, I remember quite distinctly that Ben Whishaw and Sophie Okonedo were using American accents. However, this time they were both using their own British accents. Does anyone know when and why this was changed?
Interestingly, I enjoyed both of their performances significantly more the 2nd time, and I wonder if it had something to do with the accent. I wonder if Whishaw, Okonedo, and Van Hove were feeling like the American accents were distracting them or holding them back in some way. Or was it to make them seem more like outsiders in Salem?
I do wish a bit that they had altered Ronan's accent as well. I actually love her performance as Abigail, but her American accent (if that's even what it is?) is quite bad. To be honest, I can't even say with utter certainty that what she's doing is even supposed to be an American accent. Still, like I said, I think her portrayal of the role is excellent.
#2The Crucible - Accent changes
Posted: 7/10/16 at 1:31pm
When van Hove, Okonedo & Whishaw were on Theatre Talk they spoke about the accent change. It happened sometime in the first couple previews.
"Oh look at the time, three more intelligent plays just closed and THE ADDAMS FAMILY made another million dollars" -Jackie Hoffman, Broadway.com Audience Awards
Mediamaven2
Featured Actor Joined: 4/28/16
#3The Crucible - Accent changes
Posted: 7/10/16 at 1:42pm
IdinaBellFoster said: "When van Hove, Okonedo & Whishaw were on Theatre Talk they spoke about the accent change. It happened sometime in the first couple previews.
Curious what did they say about it. Only saw it once, a couple of weeks ago. LIked it but not enamored. Thought Okonedo was wonderful but the one thing I did not like was her accent, found it distracting. Didn't notice Ben's accent as much. I worked in UK and for Brit company for many years...am quite used to the varying accents. Personally found Okonedo's just grating to my ears.
mpkie
Broadway Star Joined: 6/21/15
#4The Crucible - Accent changes
Posted: 7/10/16 at 2:20pm
JBroadway said: "I do wish a bit that they had altered Ronan's accent as well. I actually love her performance as Abigail, but her American accent (if that's even what it is?) is quite bad. To be honest, I can't even say with utter certainty that what she's doing is even supposed to be an American accent."
Err....it's her own accent. Irish.
#5The Crucible - Accent changes
Posted: 7/10/16 at 6:01pm
But see...I'm familiar with Saoirse Ronan's own accent. Having seen several of her movies -- including Brooklyn, twice -- along with more than one interview with her, AND having seen The Crucible twice, I think I can say pretty confidently that she is at least ATTEMPTING an accent. Granted, yes, it comes out sounding Irish a lot, which is exactly the problem. But what she's doing in The Crucible is definitely not entirely her own accent.
Thanks for the tip on Theatre Talk. About to watch it now!
UncleCharlie
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/26/16
#6The Crucible - Accent changes
Posted: 7/10/16 at 6:12pm
Historically speaking, the time period of the play, the late 1600's was less than 75 years removed from the first British settlers in New England in 1620. So it is very likely, the actual people in New England during that time period spoke with what we would consider today to be more of a British accent than anything else. It was only hundreds of years later as people began to travel beyond the very limited geographic areas in which they were raised that there was some sort of blending of regional dialects to become what we today consider to be an "American accent" and even with that, there are still plenty of regional dialects all over the country that only began to fade in usage among the younger generations as they learned how to speak more from radio and TV than from their parents and relatives. So the characters in The Crucible speaking with a British accent would not be entirely historically inaccurate.
#7The Crucible - Accent changes
Posted: 7/10/16 at 6:39pm
Just watched the TheatreTalk interview. Very interesting. Okonedo says using her own accent added more transparency and made it more natural for her, and I definitely saw that come across the 2nd time I saw it. And according to her, they changed the dialects right after the performance that I attended.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhAwKeT3VMo
RippedMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#8The Crucible - Accent changes
Posted: 7/10/16 at 6:51pm
Saw this Friday and didn't mind the accents at all. Historically it stil made sense to me, but also they were going for a more contemporary feel, so it worked. The only thing I hated were the slow scenes changes. Killed the mood and the momentum. Surely there is a better way to do that. And second were the children. Besides Abigaile, I thought they were all entirely lacking. None of those girls could act. Also, if they were going for a diverse cast, why not do a little more?
blaxx
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/05
#9The Crucible - Accent changes
Posted: 7/10/16 at 7:39pm
Those blackout transitions were awful. They seemed to last an eternity. I thought the whole set was going to change but only a couple of chairs were moved.
Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE
#10The Crucible - Accent changes
Posted: 7/10/16 at 7:48pm
mpkie said: "Err....it's her own accent. Irish."
That is, simply, not true. I WISH they had her using her beautiful Irish accent, but they have her attempting an American accent, which is atrocious.
RippedMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#11The Crucible - Accent changes
Posted: 7/10/16 at 7:49pm
Right? Everyone laughed at the first one because it seemed so random. Why not just use a scrim? Would have made some of them less awkward.
And I don't really get why so many earlier posters were confused by the set. It looked like a classroom in a town hall?
mpkie
Broadway Star Joined: 6/21/15
#12The Crucible - Accent changes
Posted: 7/10/16 at 8:42pm
bjh2114 said: "mpkie said: "Err....it's her own accent. Irish."
That is, simply, not true. I WISH they had her using her beautiful Irish accent, but they have her attempting an American accent, which is atrocious."
I assumed it was a watered down version of her own accent to make it easier to understand, honestly. A lot of Scottish people do this as well, as people not used to hearing true Irish or Scottish accents (or regional British accents) have a difficult time making out what is being said, and I could see that choice being made since it's live in a theater without really any true aid of audio enhancement (and the sound was also somewhat echo-y). I did not get the impression at all that it was an attempt at an American accent, but obviously, I can't really know what was the choice there. But it read Irish to me or some version thereof. It never crossed my mind and still doesn't that it was in any way American.
ETA: I have interacted with Irish people in a work setting while in the UK. And some people have really light accents and you hardly even realize they're Irish, it sounds almost American, which has always intrigued me. Of course, Saoirse's natural accent is a lot stronger than perhaps she let on in The Crucible. Gosh her name is hard to spell!
#13The Crucible - Accent changes
Posted: 7/10/16 at 8:51pm
Ronan has talked about how her accent in BROOKLYN is not her accent or the accent that someone in her character's region would have. They softened the accent for her to sound clearer to a larger audience. I didn't think she was trying to put on an accent when I saw the show a few weeks ago. She sounded extremely natural and truly I thought it was a masterful performance in par with the beautiful work that Okonedo, Wishaw, Hines, Camp, Gevinson and everyone else is doing. I was happy to see them follow through with the more abstract, non-period specific take on the play. I just loved this production.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
RippedMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#14The Crucible - Accent changes
Posted: 7/10/16 at 10:24pm
At first I was like "what is this accent" but then it was consistent enough that I just went with it. She was great.
My only issue was it was hard to hear. Hands often turned up stage and it was hard to hear what he was saying so the actual play wasn't being TOLD, I don't think. It's a great production if you know the play, but I didn't know it that well.
#15The Crucible - Accent changes
Posted: 7/11/16 at 9:42am
The accents in "The Witch," a movie which is basically "The Crucible, but a horror film," have become so strongly ingrained in my head that I can't think of Miller's drama without hearing "I be the witch of the wood!"
#17The Crucible - Accent changes
Posted: 7/11/16 at 9:47am
And not enough music to cover the set pieces clunking around
#18The Crucible - Accent changes
Posted: 7/11/16 at 9:51am
I've seen the production twice -- midway through previews and the Saturday matinee before the Tonys. Both times Ronan did an American accent. It's not great, but it's also far from the worst I've ever heard.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
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