Academy’s ‘Crucible’ enhanced by stunning, unearthly set

When we enter the theater for the Las Vegas Academy's "The Crucible," we're met with a compound raked stage, filled with thin, wooden steels of fence skewing from left to right, seemingly floating in space. John Morris' unearthly set suggests that the script -- which takes place in the late 1600s -- has no specific time period.

Once the play begins and Morris' lights accent the physical environment, we're filled with a sense of dread. His stark use of color mixed with his surreal constructions make you feel as if you're stuck on hell's borders.

What's especially noteworthy is that director Glenn Edwards takes advantage of Morris' stunning designs to enhance the story, rather than upstage it.

Playwright Arthur Miller uses a Massachusetts witch trial to take a swipe at the Joe McCarthy hearings of the 1950s, which sought to purge America of anyone with past links to the Communist Party. Many ruined careers and suicides ensued, mostly due to false accusations.

Here, the production begins with a group of young girls flailing about in what may or may not be an occult activity. Soon, rumors are rampant, and the town is ready for some hanging.

Edwards' tone is high-pitched from the very beginning, and while this may be too much for some, it suggests to me the hysteria of the situation. Rarely do people logically talk to one another.

Edwards' actors succeed in being driven by character needs. Whenever they lock eyes and argue their point of view, you feel as if their characters' souls are on fire.

There are many actors who deserve mention, if only space permitted.

Taylor Laws (many roles are double- and triple-cast) makes for an intriguing John Proctor, a good man whose brief adulterous affair puts his life on the line. Laws' facial features barely seem to move, yet he fully communicates Proctor's torment.

Nicole Kaplan is beautifully understated as his wife. You can feel the painful, contradictory emotions, as well as the strength, inside her.

"The Crucible" is often regarded as one of Miller's (and America's) best. The academy is giving it the exciting production it deserves.

Anthony Del Valle can be reached at vegastheaterchat @aol.com. You can write him c/o Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.