Rockefeller Arts Center
Designed by the architectural firm I.M. Pei and Partners and built in 1969, the Michael C. Rockefeller Arts Center is a major cultural center of visual and performing arts for western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania.
The casts of the Department of Theatre and Dance productions of "The Crucible" and "Abigail/1702: A Twice-told Tale" include, from left Micaela LaBarbera as Emily Proctor, Matthew Neary as John Proctor, Harlequinn Selegean as Abigail Williams and Ryan Okun as John Brown.
Mainstage Series offers rotating productions of 'Crucible,' 'Abigail/1702' to close season
he Department of Theatre and Dance has undertaken an ambitious project to close out its 2023-24 Walter Gloor Mainstage Series. The Department will present rotating productions of “The Crucible” and “Abigail/1702: A Twice-told Tale” from April 26 through May 4 in the Robert W. Marvel Theatre on the Fredonia campus.
“The Crucible,” by Pulitzer Prize winner Arthur Miller, is a drama that tells the story of a young farmer, his wife and a young servant-girl who maliciously causes the wife’s arrest for witchcraft in 17th Century Salem, Mass.
“The play is historical fiction and delves into the events surrounding the Salem Witch Trials,” said Director Daniel F. Lendzian, assistant professor. “While authored by Arthur Miller as an allegory for 1950s McCarthyism and The Red Scare, its themes and topics remain relevant today. In our production, we emphasize the enduring themes of goodness, the power of language and accusation and the concept of justice.”
“Abigail/1702,” by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, picks up where “The Crucible” left off.
“We witness the transformation and evolution of Abigail Williams, the catalyst of hysteria in ‘The Crucible,’” Lendzian said. “Set 10 years after the events of ‘The Crucible,’ ‘Abigail/1702’ follows Abigail’s journey of redemption as she aids a young sailor named John Brown and raises an orphan boy named Thomas. Confronted by her past, Abigail must demonstrate her worthiness of forgiveness and salvation despite her past misdeeds.”
The director said the Mainstage production highlights themes of atonement, forgiveness, spiritual purity and redemption.
“To my knowledge, this is the first time ‘The Crucible’ and ‘Abigail/1702’ have been performed in a rotating repertory,” Lendzian said. “There are ‘easter eggs’ that appear in both plays that keep them connected, so it is strongly recommended audiences see both.”
Dates and times for “The Crucible” are April 26, 27 and May 2 at 7:30 p.m. and May 4 at 2 p.m. while “Abigail/1702” runs April 27 and 28 at 2 p.m. and May 3 and 4 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available online 24/7 at fredonia.edu/tickets. Tickets may also be purchased on Monday, Wednesday or Friday by phone at 716-673-3501 or in person at the Campus Ticket Office in the Williams Center.