It was the final show for The Crucible play on Tuesday morning. But instead of performing in front of GSU students, staff, and family members, the cast did something different. They performed in front of Richwood high school students.
Juniors from Richwood High in Monroe attended the play as a part of their English curriculum. The class is studying the colonial period of American history.
The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, takes place during the infamous witch-hunt days in Salem when hundreds of men and women accused of witchcraft were hung.
The story focuses on Abigail (Ashley Baker, Angela O’Leary), and her friends who get caught dancing in the forest by Abigail’s uncle Reverend Parris (Ebonie Hubbard, Brandon Smith).
When Parris’ daughter Betty (Lauren Elliot) gets sick, the Reverend accuses his niece and her friends of performing witchcraft. They accuse others of makingthem perform it.
Abigail, who had an affair with John Proctor (Curtis Arrington Jr.) is driven with scorn and rage at his rejection, and accuses his wife, Goody Proctor of witchcraft.
Soon the town is in an uproar of witchcraft paranoia, and the play ends with several innocent people being hung.
The high school students were in awe, as the scenes came to life before their eyes. There was barely a noise in the theatre.
“I enjoyed myself. I had a great feel for the characters,” said LaKrystal Kelly, a junior at Richwood High. “It felt like I was there [in Salem].
The students seemed to like the portrayal of the Salem characters the most.
“My favorite character was Abigail. She maintained her personality and character throughout the play,” said Jonathan Hall, a junior at Richwood.
Mrs. Ashley an English teacher at Richwood felt that the play was helpful in giving her students a better understanding of the colonial period.
“It was an extraordinary and spectacular performance”, said Ashley. “They did more than we expected them to do. Heads up to GSU.”
Behind the scenes, the cast and crew experienced many obstacles, but were able to bring things together. Due to a couple of difficulties, Eboni Hubbard, a junior who is the stage director had to play the role of Reverend Parris, one of the main characters, and learn all of the lines in less than a week.
“I went through a lot of pressure,” said Hubbard. “It was hard. We had a few dramatic points, but we pulled through.
Mikell James, a freshman at Grambling reflected on his first college performance.
“I learned you have to be a good actor on and offstage,” said James.