Marblehead Little Theatre’s new production of “The Crucible” hosted a cast whose enthusiasm and insight reveal the play’s enduring resonance.
“The Crucible,” by American playwright Arthur Miller, centers on the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, in which a group of young girls accused local citizens of witchcraft.
The Salem Witch Trials led to the deaths of 25 innocent women, men, and children, according to the Peabody Essex Museum.
Notably, the production’s star, Abigail Williams, played by Shannon Burke, gave such a moving performance that it was clear within the first couple of minutes of the play why all of the showings were sold out.
Directed by Trudi Olivetti and produced by Erin Pelikhov, the production was a stark reminder of how “witch hunts” are still being practiced today.
As director Olivetti notes, “We find our country today in a polarized state where some can be seen to be executing ‘witch hunts’ for immigrants and for those with opposing points of view. ‘The Crucible’ is a cautionary tale for all of history.”
Backstage, the cast exclaimed how they have loved performing at Marblehead Little Theatre as well as the friends they have made along the way.
Sophie Leiton Toomey, who plays Mercy Lewis, described the performance as both exhausting and exhilarating.
“We’re tired, but we’re very happy,” she said. “It’s simple, but it’s powerful. I think it’s very relevant.”
Her words echoed the energy backstage, where camaraderie tempers the play’s dark subject.
“We have a fantastic, fantastic cast. We have a really solid team,” Leiton Toomey said.
One cast member, Cyan Sueño, who portrays John Willard, noted, “Everybody’s been enjoying it. The reviews have been great so far. It also helps that my fellow cast members are really nice. Backstage, we’ve all grown closer.”
Theresa Peterson, who plays Elizabeth Proctor, spoke about returning to the theater after years in New York.
“It’s awesome,” she said. “The cast is amazing, so supportive of each other. Trudi and the team have been fantastic — and Greg’s lighting! It’s just really cool.”
Younger actors, too, bring fresh passion to the centuries-old story. Niko King-Mahan, 17, who plays Susanna Walcott, admitted that being in such an intense production was new and thrilling.
“I feel like a real actor,” King-Mahan said. “It’s so nice to get to work with so many talented people. I feel like I’m learning a lot.”
For Anna Coates, 11, who plays Betty Parris, she said she loves performing at Marblehead Little Theatre, but when asked if she could see herself acting as a career, she said, “I don’t know because I have a lot of interests, and this is just one of them.”
Rebecca Axelrod, who plays Rebecca Nurse, said the production was very meaningful.
“I feel very, very happy to be through this production with all of these wonderful, supportive fellow actors,” she said. Having seen past productions, she was delighted to be part of one that “has a role for an older woman.”
The unity of this ensemble mirrors the play’s own themes of community under pressure. In Miller’s Salem, fear isolates and destroys; in Marblehead’s “The Crucible,” collaboration and empathy heal. As one actor put it, “It feels like we’re all learning so much from each other — it’s like being part of something bigger.”
This production strives not merely to recreate history, but to hold a mirror to our own.
Arthur Miller wrote “The Crucible” to expose the dangers of moral panic and political persecution. But its lesson is broader.
