Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Bedlam’s revival of THE CRUCIBLE by Arthur Miller is visceral theater of the highest order

• By drediman
• December 15, 2019
• No Comments

Ryan Quinn and Truett Felt in Bedlam’s revival of “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller at the Connelly Theater. Photo by Ashley Garrett.

When I first heard that New York was getting yet another revival of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, I welcomed the news with mixed feelings. It wasn’t that long ago that Ivo van Hove’s elaborate production divided audiences on Broadway. And on top of that, I’m of the opinion that the play (or at least good stretches of it) is second tier Miller. But then again, the folks at Bedlam are one smart bunch; they’re adventurous artists who let their passion for the text and storytelling drive the theater company’s often times exhilarating if unorthodox stagings. It was with these conflicting feelings that I approached Bedlam’s revival of The Crucible last week.

Well, I’m happy to report that Bedlam’s Off-Broadway production at the Connelly Theater in the East Village is sensationally good. As with most Bedlam shows, The Crucible has been directed by its artistic director — the brilliant Eric Tucker — who has inverted the Connelly Theater for his staging (effectively, the audience sits onstage, while the action takes place in the auditorium). The result is an intimate and immersive production that takes the cobwebs off of Miller’s well-known script. There are times when you get the sense that Mr. Tucker feels that the text is overwrought; he ingeniously stages these segments like an amusing parody of the play. But when his in-your-face staging takes the sadly still relevant play seriously, the result is visceral theater of the highest order (e.g., I don’t think I’ve seen the problematic Act Four played more grippingly). Indeed, the production’s immediacy — much of it is played fast and furiously — forced me to hear the oft-performed play afresh and with new urgency.

Also like most Bedlam shows, Mr. Tucker has his company of fourteen actors take on multiple roles, often switching between them at dizzyingly breakneck speed. Individually, I must commend Paul Lazar (as Deputy Governor Thomas Danforth), Susannah Millonzi (as Elizabeth Proctor), Ryan Quinn (as John Proctor), Caroline Grogan (as Mary Warren) and Mr. Tucker himself (as Reverend Hale) for the intensity and intelligence of their performances. I was particularly taken by Ms. Millonzi, whose raw performance nearly runs off with the show. But it’s when the production uses the entire ensemble to physically drive the story forward that this Crucible truly becomes explosive theater, resulting in one of the most thrilling renditions of the play I’ve seen.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

THE CRUCIBLE
Off-Broadway, Play
Bedlam / The Connelly Theater
3 hours (with one intermission)
Through December 29