The lights went dim and the audience murmured whispers but were silenced by the soft music coming from the stage. A sole dancer appeared on the stage to be interrupted by sudden shrieking of girls running toward her. This opening set the mood for the frighteningly eerie play. The girls disappeared and the curtains rose to reveal a bedroom in Reverend Paris’ house.

Betty Paris, played by Sandra Abilmona, was laying on the bed severely ill with Abigail Williams, played by Lauren Kinch, standing over her. Albimona’s screaming and thrashing was incredibly realistic. The first scene ended with everyone claiming they saw many townspeople possessed by the devil. Kinch ended the scene dramatically with a red spot light on her, throwing her hands in the air, smiling a devilish smile.

“I wanted to put a new twist on my role, Abagail who is usually portrayed as being very belligerent and hot-tempered. I decided to give her more of a creepy and possessed vibe so I practiced various body motions and facial expressions to see what would appear creepiest. I ended up really focusin on using my eyes to portray Abagail’s evilness,” Kinch said.

Scene two opened up with John Procter, played by John Odom, and Elizabeth Procter, played by Michelle Kinzer, in a room of the Proctor’s house. The set in this scene was magnificent and very realistic. A fireplace was the centerpiece of the set and was constructed incredibly well. Kinzer and Odom captured their roles wonderfully and were very believable in their roles.

Act two was based on the Salem trials and opened in the vestry of the Salem Meeting House. The first scene was very intense with Betty Parris being possessed by the devil. The young girls of the town screamed and ran around in fright of what was happening to Parris. Kinch played an amazing role while acting terrified of the possession.

The second scene took play in a cell in a Salem jail three months after the exorcism. John Proctor is convinced by his wife Elizabeth to falsely confess that he is a witch in order to save other townspeople and end the trials. Odom did a great job capturing the emotion of this scene and ended it wonderfully.

“The Crucible went a lot smoother than it usually does in dress rehearsals however lines were skipped in some parts therefore causing important parts to be skipped but we did a good job of continuing on,” said junior B.J. Odom.

Overall The Crucible followed the original book by Arthur Miller very well. The acting was also believable. The highlight performances of the night were Lauren Kinch, John Odom, Michelle Kinzer, and Sandra Abilmona. The fact that last night was the show’s opening night did not seem to hinder the performance. Nerves also did not seem to be an issue as all the actors were confident in their parts and knew their character very well.

“Opening night is always the hardest, but I think we pulled it off. It was rewarding to see things come together after all the time and effort we put into it. For the next performances we need to establish a clearer pace to the show to keep things going quickly and smoothly but I think some of that will happen naturally once actors get their lines down,” said Kinch.

The Crucible has two more showings, Friday, Dec. 18 at 7:00 p.m. It was originally scheduled to show as a matinee on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 1:00 p.m., but this showing was canceled due to predictions of inclement weather.

“It will be very unnecessary and upsetting if the play is cancelled due to the weather after all the time we have put into it,” said Odom.

The cast of The Crucible prepares before the first performance.