"The Crucible", a 1952 play by Arthur Miller, premiered on Broadway on January 22, 1953. It went on to win the Tony Award for Best Play in 1953 despite the controversy its subject matter caused. The plot retells the story of the Salem Witch Trials and the mass hysteria they caused, and Miller is said to have written the play as an allegory of McCarthyism. These connections caused an uproar in the entertainment world, but the play became a classic.

John Proctor (Thomas Hederman) delivered a strong performance as the play's protagonist. Hederman displayed a very commanding stage presence, and pulled off the emotional scenes demanded of his character with believability and passion. No one could doubt his anger towards the courts or the internal anguish he felt when forced to decide between life and honor. His wife, Elizabeth Proctor (Carly Uding), truly stood out among the cast. Uding brought a depth to Elizabeth, playing both her angry, emotional scenes and her more low-key scenes perfectly. Even when she wasn't speaking, Uding was fully in character, moving about just as Elizabeth would. She made Elizabeth someone to cheer for and sympathize with. Abigail Williams (Claire Zimmerman) was another stand-out as the instigator of the witch-hunt. Zimmerman managed to be the worst kind of evil while still making her character believable as a young woman. Her cunning and seductive ways made Abigail really come alive and command the stage.

Reverend Hale (J.P. de Garrett) stood out among the rest of the supporting cast for his confidence and diction. De Legarreta was always easy to understand, even when much of the cast started rushing lines. He made his character very three-dimensional and dynamic. Deputy-Governor Danforth (Mark Kuehner) delivered a strong performance as the haughty and arrogant head of the court. Kuehner's confidence both in his dialogue and body language made Danforth truly seem to be puffed-up and deplorable. Rebecca Nurse (Katherine Potts), Reverend Parris (Brandon Simpson), and Mary Warren (Angela Bunning) also contributed lively performances.

The sets were extremely impressive and appropriate to the production. The scene outside of Abigail's house especially stood out as realistic and well put together. The sound added some nice effects, like the crickets in the same scene, but seemed to have some trouble with the body mics, making the volume a little patchy. The stage crew, however, was outstanding, making the set changes without even being noticed. The set almost seemed to alter itself.

The actors all worked very well together to bring the story to life. A common problem was lack of enunciation, but the cast was believable, passionate, and dedicated to their respective roles. They worked especially well creating chemistry between the characters. The technicians contributed the technical aspects necessary to make the play run commendably, together creating an unforgettable night at the Salem Witch Trials.

"The Crucible" is a classic production, and Notre Dame pulled it off as well as anyone ever has. Witchery's a hangin' error, and so is not applauding this production.