As Peterquennell suggested, here is The Crucible reviews thread.
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Steve7216 — 10 years ago(March 14, 2016 05:25 AM)
I'm not on Tumbir, but I'll be checking out the responses in the days to come. If anyone is a member of the site, perhaps you might post reviews as you probable have complete access compared to me. This is from "Daniel:"
For those like jlent and Peter who will actually see The Crucible, the writer states there are
spoilers
ahead:
Ben Whishaw in The Crucible at The Walter Kerr Theatre
These are my thoughts on the brand new Broadway production of The Crucible, starring Ben Whishaw, Sophie Okonedo, and Saoirse Ronan.
This is not a professional review, just what I wanted to share with those interested in this show. This may contain spoilers for those that have never seen The Crucible, or that have yet to see this specific production.
It wasnt until two days ago that I found out Ben was doing The Crucible on Broadway, but the second I did I ordered myself a ticket for the matinee the next day. So, yesterday at 11:30am I was standing in line at the Walter Kerr Theatre, waiting for them to open the doors.
Firstly, I was blown away by how close my seat turned out to be. I often forget how small Broadway theaters are, and the seat that I had in the sixth row was so close I swore I would feel the actors breath as it left their bodies. Then the show began.
I thought it such an interesting choice, having it set in an old schoolroom. It is something that we have not seen before, and it is done so well that this seemingly innocent environment soon proves a terrifying backdrop for the story. If you look closely at the blackboard, you can see that the Ten Commandments are written on it. However, if you look even closer, you can see that one which should read Thou shalt hate not has been partly erased, leaving only Thou shalt hate. It gave me chills.
Jason Butler Harner, who begins the play as Reverend Parris, was truly terrific. His emotion and his delivery was very real, and very raw. He brings a level to Parris that many do nothe made him a flawed man, not just a self-righteous villain who is responsible for the death of many good people. Then came Abbie.
From the moment Saoirse Ronan entered the show as Abigail Williams, I knew I would love her. I had heard nothing but great things about her performance, and she did not disappoint. You could see the hate and the envy in her eyes, as she owned the stagebringing life to the bitter fangirl who wants their baes wife dead.
Obviously, from the moment Ben Whishaw stepped on stage I was silently screaming in my head. Though, I was still very curious to see what he would bring to the piece. John Proctor is a timeless role that has been filled by many a great actor time and time again. Would his portrayal be a noteworthy one? Would he add anything new and exciting to the Miller classic?
I have to say, though I have seen John Proctor live and die in many productions of The Crucible, none of these portrayals have shown him to be quite so lost, so flawed, and so broken as Mr. Ben Whishaws. I dont think any other actor has been able to make me feel even remotely as connected to John as Ben did.
In the beginning of the play, his relationship with Elizabeth is, as always, a strained one. However, not many John/Elizabeth pairings do true justice toironicallyhow close these witch trials bring them together. By the end, the love that they had once felt for each other long before the play began has truly been brought back to life, and we can feel the chemistry between them.
Ben and Sophie did something I have never seen before: they painted the love that these two characters felt for one another so vividly that, come the end of the play, it was no longer a story about foolish little girls who lied. It was, very suddenly, a story about real people battling real-world afflictionsthose of lust, hatred, vengeance, pride, and lost love.
The Crucible is currently in previews at The Walter Kerr Theatre in New York. -
Steve7216 — 10 years ago(March 14, 2016 08:32 AM)
Some images from the curtain call presumably from the last show:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CdgIWHRUEAAuxcs.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CdgILlKUYAI5tvl.jpg -
Steve7216 — 10 years ago(March 14, 2016 09:44 AM)
Here is an extremely detailed, partial review from an individual who happens to be a very fine and observant writer.
Please note that he gives very specific details about the play.
There will be a followup covering Saoirse and other performers.
http://tinyurl.com/j3592jk -
jlent — 10 years ago(March 04, 2016 08:41 PM)
#thecrucible has some interesting comments and production shots:
https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheCrucible?src=hash -
jlent — 10 years ago(March 05, 2016 06:30 AM)
Reviews on that website are starting to balance out:
jasonbrody said: "I got in by myself to the first preview show last night. Incredible. Van Hove lived up to my expectations, which have been considerably built up since I saw A View from the Bridge in January. The production is naturalistic and Brechtian at the same time it lays the text bare in a way Ive never encountered before and illuminates corners of it that Id never considered and never noticed. I have some questions about the set (not entirely sure I understand the concept here), but the score was stark as usual, and just as dramatic and powerful as ever. The interesting thing about van Hoves productions is that in the stripping down of the works, theyve never been clearer. If I can find a way to get tickets again for the run, Ill be re-visiting.
Thank you Jason. I thought I'd gone insane at the bad reviews this production was getting on here. It's a fantastic staging of a wonderful play. Go. See. Now.
