The Crucible Previews- Page 7

[Owen22]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 12:31am

jasonbrody said: "I got in by myself to the first preview show last night.  Incredible.  Van Hove lived up to my expectations, which have been considerably built up since I saw A View from the Bridge in January.  The production is naturalistic and Brechtian at the same time – it lays the text bare in a way I’ve never encountered before and illuminates corners of it that I’d never considered and never noticed.  I have some questions about the set (not entirely sure I understand the concept here), but the score was stark as usual, and just as dramatic and powerful as ever.  The interesting thing about van Hove’s productions is that in the stripping down of the works, they’ve never been clearer. If I can find a way to get tickets again for the run, I’ll be re-visiting.

Thank you Jason. I thought I'd gone insane at the bad reviews this production was getting on here. It's a fantastic staging of a wonderful play. Go. See. Now.
 

 

"

 

[bwayluver2]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 2:26am

Just saw this tonight and I enjoyed it very much. I don't agree with everything, but I was utterly engrossed through the whole show and left with a lot to think about. This very much seems like experimental theatre. I love that. Being a limited engagement and some big names, they don't have to worry about selling tickets so much (I believe it's already selling quite well) and can afford to try new things.

 

I can see the symbolic references of the set, don't know if it's enough to base the whole show off it, but it's fun to try to guess where the reasoning came from. I think the institution represents the prison of your thoughts and how they can trap you from seeing the truth. The chalkboard seemed to be a way for the characters to transcend reality and escape into their minds. The school setting seems to represent the place where children have the most power. My biggest qualm is probably parts of the staging, some moves seemed unnecessary and cluttered, especially maneuvering around the desks in the opening scene. Also the size of the playing space proved challenging, as previously stated. I was Orchestra L and had trouble hearing in a couple of the more intimate moments when characters were facing SL. The space just seemed to eat their sound. 

 

Someone also mentioned the curtain call and not knowing when the play was over. I thought that was amazing. You get so sucked into this world that when they line up for the curtain call it takes you a bit to shake off what just happened and return to the real world. The lack of an abrupt ending allows you to really process. It's sort of hard to explain, but it was a chilling moment. 

 

I was very impressed by the cast as a whole. Ben Winshaw was the strong point to me, utterly compelling and passionate. I couldn't take my eyes off him. I thought Saiorse did well with what she was given, but forgot how little Abigail actually does in the play. The presence of her name is very much felt throughout the show, but the two scenes she's actually in leave her character quite one dimensional. I think she would have been better suited to play Mary, a much more intriguing role that develops and arcs. It could have shown her off better. Sophie was a standout as well, although I feel her state of mind in the final scene was a bit undecided. And of course Norton as Giles just breaks your heart. Some of the other cast members were stronger than others, but all seemed to gel well as an ensemble. I always thought this play could have done with a few less characters. 

 

The effects I felt were very effective, no pun intended. I realize that they are not literally happening, but the way the play is done seems to blur the lines between what's really happening and what's in your heads anyways, so it didn't bother me. Seemed to be parallel to the fine line between truth and lies within the play. 

Very much worth seeing and I'm interested to see how it will progress and adapt during previews. I don't know if I've seen something so risky from an artistic sense on Broadway in a long time. 

Updated On: 3/5/16 at 02:26 AM

[bwayluver2]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 2:26am

It's the kind of production that will cause a vast amount of opinions. But go and decide for yourself! At the very least, it will give you a lot do consider and think about. Even if the question for you is 'why?'. 

 

Id really love to see an interview with Van Howe to know what his reasoning and intentions for certain things really are.

Updated On: 3/5/16 at 02:26 AM

[jbird5]

Posted: 3/6/16 at 10:10am

I enjoyed this more than View which I found to be too one note. This was more Shakespeare than Greek Tragedy- more challenging and with more dramatic tension. Even at 3 hours it didn't seem to drag. I also would take Whishaw's performance over Strong 's (speaking of one note). Saoirse was good and gorgeous in her part. Sophie was outstanding and is the heart and soul of the piece. This is really an ensemble piece and almost everybody held up their end. The multi-ethnic casting was interesting- sometimes appropriate, sometimes not. The effects were fewer than I expected from others accounts and livened things up when it could have started to drag. There seemed to be quite a few youngsters in the balcony who I am sure would never go near Miller if not for this production (and Ms Ronan's presence). Kudos to Ivo Van Hove and crew for breathing new life into this hoary old classic.

Updated On: 3/6/16 at 10:10 AM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/6/16 at 2:38pm

I saw this last night and was left very perplexed by this production. I really did not fully understand the concept behind the production and what Ivo Van Hove was going for. The (what appeared to be) institutionalized classroom setting and the modern day costumes made very little sense for the play. The performances were quite strong overall with Ben Whishaw definitely being the standout for me. There are a few special effects that are very well done and chilling. At the end of the night, though, I can't say I was fully on board with the production and what the director was trying to do.

Updated On: 3/6/16 at 02:38 PM

[billyelliotfan123]

Posted: 3/6/16 at 2:43pm

Where have the rush and lotto seats been? How is the view?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/6/16 at 2:44pm

^ I rushed and had row H seats 14 and 16. View is fine, but I couldn't see the right side of the set at all and missed some of the action when they went far off stage right. Still saw about 95% of the show, though.

[miminy]

Posted: 3/7/16 at 8:31pm

I won one lottery ticket for Tuesday, March 8th. However when I entered the code
and chose 1 seat, Ticketmaster would not let me buy one seat. There were 22 open seats
but they were only in pairs. I tried to call but the phone lines close at 600pm.
Even though the email says I have until 1159pm to buy my ticket, it is impossible.
Extremely frustrated.

[wonkit]

Posted: 3/7/16 at 8:45pm

I usually go to the theater by myself during the week, and Ticketmaster refused to sell me any single seat that did not leave a pair of seats in that location! I have never had that issue before with any theater or production so it is unclear why they are being so hard nosed about this particular production. I ended up in a location I never would have chosen simply because I could not break up any pair in my favorite location. For the amount of money I was willing to spend, it seems ridiculous that they think they are going to sell every pair.

[bfreak]

Posted: 3/7/16 at 8:54pm

Ticketmaster does that in general unfortunately. Not just for this particular production. It could be any show.

[wonkit]

Posted: 3/7/16 at 11:02pm

Bad news for me...

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 3/7/16 at 11:07pm

Are there any photos of this production yet? Aside from the main publicity/cover art of Ronan? 

[jbird5]

Posted: 3/8/16 at 9:10am

From rehearsals:

[John G2]

Posted: 3/8/16 at 3:27pm

I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but anyone seeing the excellent film 'The Witch' can see the power that good period design and great performances true to the period can have while telling a story like the Crucible. This film is a sort of anti-crucible, and was made by a theatre person. I long for such spectacular performances and mise en scene on the stage. This latest fad of minimalism is depressing. I'm sure it's cheaper for producers, but it robs audiences of so much of the great stuff theatre artists can bring to a story.

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 3/8/16 at 3:55pm

I've seen several productions like that. They're all over, actually. If you wanna see one, you should go see one. The last Broadway production, a mulit-ethnic Steppenwolf production directed by Anna D. Shapiro a few years ago, and the very recent Guthrie and Cleveland playhouse productions all incorporated the elements you mention. They were all swell. I'm sorry if you missed all of them. The pretty OK movie version is also done traditionally. So. You could rent that if you wanted. 

 

Personally, I'm very excited to see something new.

 

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 3/8/16 at 4:23pm

To pit traditionalist against deconstructionist dramaturgy is pointless.  There's no need to choose between them.  Both approaches have their benefits and their challenges.   If a classic play is worth staging then it can be well or poorly staged by observing conventions.  And it can also be well or poorly staged by breaking them down.  

[veronicamae]

Posted: 3/11/16 at 1:41am

Went Thursday night by way of a lotto win - and can I just say, what a PLEASANT lottery experience they've set up? I mean, being able to enter for a week's worth of shows a time, find out a day in advance, and choose my own seats and pay online - really, two thumbs way up for the evolution of the digital lottos. I will say that my seats - 5th row house EXTREME right, were definitely, definitely partial view. And there was an entire, lengthy, important scene where I could only see half the cast because it was set on the far stage left. The lighting is invasive at that angle as well - it's definitely lit with a center viewing angle in mind. (However, Ticketmaster's limitation on buying 1 seat/leaving 1 seat in a row is bad news.)

 

Anyway.

 

I was, in general, blown away by the production. The staging and the elements that were used, the chalkboard, the lighting, etc. were stellar. I've never seen it staged and the 1996 movie is the only thing I can compare it to, other than reading it in middle/high school.

 

The actors who play the Proctors - wow. YES. Saorise was great, but was barely in it, along with the other children (which surprised me, since I feel like Winona Ryder and the other girls were all over that movie - but maybe it wasn't a faithful adaptation?).

Updated On: 3/11/16 at 01:41 AM

[wonkit]

Posted: 3/11/16 at 2:52pm

I watched the movie version last night and was surprised how much it deviated from the text I read in high school. I actually thought it was dramatically stronger as a result.

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 3/11/16 at 3:35pm

I saw this last week and like most posters here I was a bit perplexed by the concept. The performances were great for the most part.

 

The one thing that's been bugging me - and maybe I'm just an idiot here: why was there actual witchcraft?! The effects we're kind of cool, but I thought the whole point of the play was that they're not actually witches. If they were, then maybe the town would be a bit more justified in it's relations, but since they're not...

 

I mean...am I missing the point entirely?

[wonkit]

Posted: 3/11/16 at 6:25pm

I'm seeing this production next week, but I have seen productions where there is a suggestion of witchcraft (images or whatever) to give the audience a sense of being taken in by the hysteria just like the girls and some of their parents. It is an interesting idea but it does seem to undercut the idea that a false confession damned a person as much as any other lie - Proctor's whole reason for refusing to sign the paper for Danforth. Of course, most of the parents were motivated by a desire to acquire (ooh, it rhymes) the land forfeited when the witches were executed.

[VotePeron]

Posted: 3/11/16 at 6:48pm

Won the lottery for tomorrow night. Shame the seats are only the far sides of the Orch, but for $40, it's a fine deal.

[Tom-497]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 2:39am

I saw tonight's performance and, in my view, it was pretty uneven. 

 

The weaknesses

Ronan was mediocre at best in a crucial role. Okonedo, despite some nice moments, was sometimes weirdly mannered -- overacting in, perhaps, a failed attempt to portray her character's insecurity about her supposedly plain looks. Whishaw, who I really liked in The Hour, sometimes came across as a bit too petulant and, in Act IV, far too weepy. In fact, throughout Act IV in general, more stoicism would have gone a long way -- it became quite soggy and drawn-out for my tastes. Also, in every Act (as far as I can recall), the scoring was, at times, overwrought and even hokey. 

 

The strengths 

Most of the rest of the cast was good, with Norton and Hinds especially so. In fact, I thought Hinds was just about perfect for his role as a judge who mixes genuine religious belief with pompous self-interest. 

 

Acts I and II were solid and Act III was terrific.

 

Slight Spoilers

 

 

Last, in regard to a couple of other points mentioned in earlier posts: The writing on the chalk board is something like "The Promises of Dutiful Children" or words to that effect. It's a list of things the kids should do: honor god, your king, your parents, etc. And it gets obliterated as the kids rebel in their grey, prison-like classroom. 

 

As to the floating girl -- although I think I understand possible reasons why it does not need to suggest literal witchcraft, I still think it's a bad idea. I saw the show with someone from another country who was unfamiliar with both the play and US history. Because of the seemingly supernatural scene, that perfectly intelligent person thought that, within the world of the play, somebody must really be an emissary of the devil and thus found the storytelling more confusing than it (arguably) should have been.

Updated On: 3/12/16 at 02:39 AM

[NYC4Life]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 2:41pm

I rushed. Got there 50 mins before box office opened and was 5th in line. I was seated in row C house left and didn't miss anything.

 

I thought the production was haunting and powerful. I don't have any complaints . I have seen about a dozen productions of The Crucible so it was a bit of a pleasant surprise for me. I felt like okonedo and winshaw gave incredibly unique and inspiring performance. Exactly what I look for in work that has been done over and over again. They are doing something extremely special and I'm sure they will be critically praised and rewarded with nominations. 

[ChildofEarth]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 8:19pm

Does anyone have a run time on this yet? I know it'll change, but a roundabout number would be helpful

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/12/16 at 9:54pm

^ It was three hours when I was there last Saturday.