Production details:

The Crucible will take place at:

Waterworks Theatre
25 SMI Way
Farmville, VA 23901

Production dates:

1. Tentative rehearsal start date: Tuesday 2 September 2025
2. Performance 1: Friday 17 October 2025 at 7.30pm
3. Performance 2: Saturday 18 October 2025 at 7.30pm
4. Performance 3: Sunday 19 October 2025 at 2.00pm
5. Performance 4: Friday 24 October 2025 at 7:30pm
6. Performance 5: Saturday 25 October 2025 at 7:30pm

Audition times are:

Saturday 14 June 2025, 2 to 5 PM
Sunday 15 June 2025, 5 to 8 PM

Audition process:

As part of your audition, you will be asked to read a small monologue. These monologues are listed at the end of this pack. 

You may feel free to choose any of the monologues for your audition, no matter what you perform at audition you will still be considered for all parts. This said, if you are particularly keen on playing a specific part then it would be a good idea to prepare the appropriate one for the audition.

During the audition, you may be asked to perform your scene in different ways. You may also be asked to work on other small scenes from the play.

ABOUT THE SHOW

In the Puritan New England town of Salem, Massachusetts, a group of girls go dancing in the forest with a black servant named Tituba. While dancing, they are caught by the local minister, Reverend Parris. One of the girls, Parris’s daughter Betty, falls into a coma-like state. A crowd gathers in the Parris home while rumors of witchcraft fill the town. Having sent for Reverend Hale, an expert on witchcraft, Parris questions Abigail Williams, the girls’ ringleader, about the events that took place in the forest. Abigail, who is Parris’s niece and ward, admits to doing nothing beyond “dancing.” 

While Parris tries to calm the crowd that has gathered in his home, Abigail talks to some of the other girls, telling them not to admit to anything. John Proctor, a local farmer, then enters and talks to Abigail alone. Unbeknownst to anyone else in the town, while working in Proctor’s home the previous year she engaged in an affair with him, which led to her being fired by his wife, Elizabeth. Abigail still desires Proctor, but he fends her off and tells her to end her foolishness with the girls. 

Betty wakes up and begins screaming. Much of the crowd rushes upstairs and gathers in her bedroom, arguing over whether she is bewitched. A separate argument between Proctor, Parris, the argumentative Giles Corey, and the wealthy Thomas Putnam soon ensues. This dispute centers on money and land deeds, and it suggests that deep fault lines run through the Salem community. 

As the men argue, Reverend Hale arrives and examines Betty, while Proctor departs. Hale quizzes Abigail about the girls’ activities in the forest, grows suspicious of her behavior, and demands to speak to Tituba. After Parris and Hale interrogate her for a brief time, Tituba confesses to communing with the devil, and she hysterically accuses various townsfolk of consorting with the devil. Suddenly, Abigail joins her, confessing to having seen the devil conspiring and cavorting with other townspeople. Betty joins them in naming witches, and the crowd is thrown into an uproar. 

A week later, alone in their farmhouse outside of town, John and Elizabeth Proctor discuss the ongoing trials and the escalating number of townsfolk who have been accused of being witches. Elizabeth urges her husband to denounce Abigail as a fraud; he refuses, and she becomes jealous, accusing him of still harboring feelings for her. Mary Warren, their servant and one of Abigail’s circle, returns from Salem with news that Elizabeth has been accused of witchcraft, but the court did not pursue the accusation. Mary is sent up to bed, and John and Elizabeth continue their argument, only to be interrupted by a visit from Reverend Hale. While they discuss matters, Giles Corey and Francis Nurse come to the Proctor home with news that their wives have been arrested. Officers of the court suddenly arrive and arrest Elizabeth. After they have taken her, Proctor browbeats Mary, insisting that she must go to Salem and expose Abigail and the other girls as frauds. 

The next day, Proctor brings Mary to court and tells Judge Danforth that she will testify that the girls are lying. Danforth is suspicious of Proctor’s motives and tells Proctor, truthfully, that Elizabeth is pregnant and will be spared for a time. Proctor persists in his charge, convincing Danforth to allow Mary to testify. Mary tells the court that the girls are lying. When the girls are brought in, they turn the tables by accusing Mary of bewitching them. Furious, Proctor confesses his affair with Abigail and accuses her of being motivated by jealousy of his wife. To test Proctor’s claim, Danforth summons Elizabeth and asks her if Proctor has been unfaithful to her. Despite her natural honesty, she lies to protect Proctor’s honor, and Danforth denounces Proctor as a liar. Meanwhile, Abigail and the girls again pretend that Mary is bewitching them, and Mary breaks down and accuses Proctor of being a witch. Proctor rages against her and against the court. He is arrested, and Hale quits the proceedings. 

Summer passes and autumn arrives. The witch trials have caused unrest in neighboring towns, and Danforth grows nervous. Abigail has run away, taking all of Parris’s money with her. Hale, who has lost faith in the court, begs the accused witches to confess falsely in order to save their lives, but they refuse. Danforth, however, has an idea: he asks Elizabeth to talk John into confessing, and she agrees. Conflicted, but desiring to live, John agrees to confess, and the officers of the court rejoice. But he refuses to incriminate anyone else, and when the court insists that the confession must be made public, Proctor grows angry, tears it up, and retracts his admission of guilt. Despite Hale’s desperate pleas, Proctor goes to the gallows with the others, and the witch trials reach their awful conclusion.

CHARACTERS

Reverend Samuel Parris – minister of the church in Salem; a widower, with no interest in children, he has been left to raise a young daughter; self-righteous, austere. and controlling; protective of his reputation and assets; paranoid that his enemies are attempting to overthrow him; his power and status within the community are irrevocably undermined when his young daughter is seemingly possessed by the devil.

Betty Parris – youngest of the afflicted girls and Abigail’s adopted sister; joins the group of girls crying witchcraft; fearful, nervous, easily intimidated by Abigail.

Tituba – Reverend Parris’s slave, born in Barbados and brought to Salem; wary and cautious, she is aware of the tenuousness of her situation and her lack of agency or power, exhausted and worn down after years of abuse; spiritual; rooted in a cultural tradition that is perceived as completely foreign by the small, insular Salem community. Black / African Descent. We will also be auditioning those of Indian or Persian descent for this role. 

Abigail Williams -Reverend Parris’s 17-year-old niece and the antagonist. Impulsive, strong-willed, passionate, with a present sexuality and a fiery temper; keenly aware of her own power, she is ruthless in her pursuit of getting what she wants.

Susanna Walcott – one of the girls who joins Abigail in crying witchcraft; nervous and worried.

Ann Putnam – wife of Thomas Putnam; brittle, fretful, and anxious; haunted by the loss of her seven children, her grief has left her embittered and resentful of others’ good fortunes; role will likely double with Sarah Good.

Thomas Putnam – wealthy landowner in Salem; savvy, politic, shrewd; even in the furor and chaos of the trials, he can see opportunity for profit.

Mercy Lewis – Putnam’s serving girl and one of the girls who joins the group crying witchcraft; clever and sly; friend and confidant of Abigail’s, she functions as Abigail’s lieutenant and second in command.

Mary Warren – A timid 17-year-old servant in the Proctor household and a member of Abigail’s group of girls. Easily influenced by those around her, she tries unsuccessfully to expose the hoax but is thwarted by Abigail and the other girls. To save herself from their accusations of witchcraft, Mary ultimately recants her confession and turns on John Proctor.

John Proctor – A local farmer; independent, forthright, opinionated; deeply complicated; despises hypocrisy, most especially in himself; has little patience for the pretense and duplicity of the church or for making a show of his devotion; tormented by guilt over his recent affair with Abigail Williams; his combination of skepticism and outspokenness makes him especially dangerous in the eyes of his righteous neighbors.

Rebecca Nurse – Francis Nurse’s wife and an elder of the Salem community. Pious, kind, patient and virtuous; her age, combined with the respect she has earned from the community, has made her unafraid to voice her opinions; appalled by the behavior of the court, she stands solidly in the path of the tidal wave of fear, hatred and bigotry until it engulfs her.

Giles Corey – a farmer; salt of the earth, plainspoken, hardworking; man of the land, who is still physically powerful; straightforward and unrefined; has little formal education and relies on his ‘common sense’ which he finds more relevant than the dominant public opinion; provocative and easily proved, speaks before thinking; underneath this rebellious attitude resides a good heart.

Reverend John Hale – respected minister and expert on witchcraft; brought to Salem to judge the veracity of the girl’s claims; observant, judicious, rational; a man of faith; he truly believes in his power to heal and return individuals to God; believes honestly in the trials until they begin to veer out of control.

Elizabeth Proctor – John Proctor’s wife; honest, proud, faithful, and principled; a person who sees little or no latitude when it comes to what is right; at times, her rigid austerity tips toward coldness; deeply hurt by her husband’s infidelity but still loves him fiercely.

Francis Nurse – elder of Salem and the husband of Rebecca Nurse; an upstanding member of the community; honest and straightforward; when his wife is accused, he comes to her aid and attempts to reason with the court for her release.

Ezekiel Cheever – officer of the court; takes his responsibilities to the court extremely seriously and does its bidding even when it involves arresting friends and neighbors; torn between duty and humanity; role will likely double with George Herrick and Hopkins.

Judge Hathorne – judge presiding over the trials, second in command to Judge Danforth; confident and resolute; believes strongly in his own authority and importance; willfully ignorant to any dissent voiced by the community.

Judge Danforth – Deputy Governor of Massachusetts; called to Salem to preside over the trials; imperious, absolute, commanding; relishes his own power; knows the law and is unwilling to deviate from it or entertain exceptions or opposing views; not afraid to use his position and authority to bully suspects and dissenters.

Martha Corey – Giles Corey’s third wife. Only her voice is heard from offstage as she testifies before the court.

George Herrick – age 40; marshal of the court; sympathetic and kind to the accused who are under his watch; attentive to his duties, but not overzealous

Sarah Good – age 40-49; a homeless woman and one of the first accused of witchcraft; eccentric, slovenly, and prone to inappropriate outbursts, her unbecoming behaviour sets her apart from the rest of the community.  She appears only briefly in the last scene.

Hopkins – guard in Salem prison; appears briefly in the last scene but does not speak.

AUDITION EXTRACTS

MARY WARREN – I never knew it before. I never knew anything before. When she come into the court I say to myself, I must not accuse this woman, for she sleep in ditches, and so very old and poor … but then … then she sit there, denying and denying, and I feel a misty coldness climbin’ up my back, and the skin on my skull begin to creep, and I feel a clamp around my neck and I cannot breath air, and then … I hear a voice, a screamin’ voice, and it were my voice … and all at once I remembered everything she done to me!!! So many time, Mister Proctor, she come to this very door beggin’ bread and cider … and mark this … whenever I turned her away empty … she mumbled! You must remember Goody Proctor — last month — a Monday I think … she walked away and I thought my guts would burst for two days after. Do you remember it? 

ELIZABETH PROCTOR – Spoke or silent, a promise is surely made. And she may dote on it now—I am sure she does—and thinks to kill me, then to take my place. It is her dearest hope, John, I know it. There be a thousand names, why does she call mine? There be a certain danger in calling such a name—I am no Goody Good that sleeps in ditches, nor Osburn drunk and half-witted. She’s dare not call out such a farmer’s wife but there be monstrous profit in it. She thinks to take my place, John. John, have you ever shown her somewhat of contempt? She cannot pass you in the church but you will blush … and I think she sees another meaning in that blush. I think you be somewhat ashamed, for I am there, and she so close. Go and tell her she’s a whore. Whatever promise she may sense break it John! Break it!! 

ABIGAIL WILLIAMS – Why, you taught me goodness, therefore you are good. It were a fire you walked me through, and all my ignorance was burned away. It were a fire, John, we lay in fire. And from that night no woman dare call me wicked any more but I knew my answer. I used to weep for my sins when the wind lifted up my skirts; and blushed for shame because some old Rebecca called me loose. And then you burned my ignorance away. As bare as some December tree I saw them all – walking like saints to church, running to feed the sick, and hypocrites in their hearts! And God gave me strength to call them liars, and God made men to listen to me, and by God I will scrub the world clean for the love of God. Oh John, I will make you such a wife when the world is white again! You will be amazed to see me every day, a light of heaven in your house, a … Why are you cold?! 

REV. JOHN HALE – Proctor, I cannot think God be provoked so grandly by such a petty cause. The jails are packed, our greatest judges sit in Salem now – and hangin’s promised. Man, we must look to cause proportionate. Were there murder done perhaps, and never brought to light? Abomination? Some secret blasphemy that stinks to heaven? Think on cause, man, and let you help me to discover it. For there’s your way, believe it, there is your only way, when such confusion strikes upon the world. Let you counsel among yourselves; think on your village and what may have drawn from heaven such thundering wrath upon you all. I shall pray to God open up our eyes. 

JUDGE DANFORTH – Mister Hale, believe me; for a man of such terrible learning you are most bewildered—I hope you will forgive me. I have been thirty-two year at the bar, sire, and I should be confounded were I called upon to defend these people. Let you consider, now, and I bid you all do likewise: in an ordinary crime, how does one defend these people? Let you consider, now – and I bid you all do likewise – in an ordinary crime, how does one defend the accused? One calls up witnesses to prove his innocence. But witchcraft is ipso facto, on its face and by its nature, an invisible crime. Therefore, we must rely upon her victims – and they do testify, the children certainly do testify. As for the witches, none will deny that we are most eager for their confessions. Therefore, what is left for a lawyer to bring out? I think I have made my point. Have I not? 

REV. SAMUEL PARRIS – I cannot blink what I saw, Abigail, for my enemies will not blink it. I saw a dress lying in the grass and I thought I saw someone naked running through the trees. I saw it! Now tell me true, Abigail. Now my ministry’s at stake; my ministry and perhaps your cousin’s life … whatever abomination you have done, give me all of it now, for I dare not be taken unaware when I go before them down there. Abigail, I have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now when there must be some good respect for me in the parish, you compromise my very character. I have given you a home, child, I have put clothes upon your back – now give me upright answer: your name in the town – it is entirely white, is it not? Abigail, is there any other cause than you have told me, for Goody Proctor discharging you? It has troubled me that you are now seven months out of their house, and in all this time no other family has ever called for your service. 

JOHN PROCTOR – In what time and place? In the proper place, where my beasts are bedded. Eight months now, sir, it is eight months. She used to serve me in my house, sir. A man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything. I know it now. I beg you, sir, I beg you – see her what she is. My wife, my dear good wife took this girl soon after, sir, and put her out on the high road. And being what she is, a lump of vanity, sir (he starts to weep) Excellency, forgive me, forgive me. She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! And well she might! For I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat! But it is a whore’s vengeance, and you must see it; I set myself entirely in your hands, I know you must see it now. My wife is innocent, except she know