The Crucible. Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 9:00. by Robert Ward. based on the play by Arthur Miller. Recommended for Students in Grades 6-12

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1 The Crucible Department of Education and Outreach Lisa DuBeau School Show Coordinator by Robert Ward based on the play by Arthur Miller. Recommended for Students in Grades 6-12 Performance duration is 55 minutes. Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 9:00 Dr. William Mouat Program Director Executive Office: (406) Ticket Office: (406) P.O. Box 1556 Billings, Montana

2 Opera shouldn t be scary or intimidating it s the most exciting combination of singing, orchestral music, chorus work, theatrical stagecraft, costuming and dance on the planet! Opera is the culmination of all the great performing arts and must be experienced to be believed! Opera is: Entertaining. Unforgettable singing, sweeping orchestral interludes, and genuinely touching performances spell entertainment with a capital E. Opera is not musical spinach. It s genuine Soul-Food, filling and utterly delicious but without the carbs! Riveting. Opera is the story of us, and what could be more interesting? Real people highborn and low contending with real-life problems and situations or sharing their exhilarating highs. Opera tackles it all with tremendous gusto. Boredom is not an option. Awesome. Entertainment choices can stimulate your eye, ear, or mind. Others are made to lift your spirit and a few are capable of inspiring your most heartfelt emotions. Only one does it all. An unforgettable night at the opera will always rank as one of the greatest experiences a roomful of people can share. (Dallas Opera) Lucinda Butler President, Board of Directors Douglas Nagel Artistic Director The Crucible Salem Aprill. 4'th 1692 There Being Complaint this day made (Before us) by Capt Jonat Walcott, and Lt Natheniell Ingersull both of Salem Village, in Behalfe of theire Majesties for themselfes and also for severall of their Neighbours Against Sarah Cloyce the wife of peter Cloyce of Salem Village; and Elizabeth Proctor the wife of John Proctor of Salem -Salem Witch Trials

3 The Salem Witch Trials By Beth Irwin Kane The Puritan founders of Salem, Massachusetts were a severe people who firmly believed that Satan s aim was to destroy God s kingdom by tempting people to sin. By sin they meant caring more about themselves and their private pleasure and profit than about other people. As Salem prospered, many of her townspeople began to appreciate the finer things in life. Merchants had made Salem a successful seaport, and the more they saw of the outside world, the more they liked it. Life was not so easy, however, for the farmers who lived beyond the town in a place called Salem Village. Their land was rocky and hilly, and unlike the townspeople, the villages had no time or money for luxuries. In fact, they still believed that such things were evil and began to suspect the townspeople of abandoning their Puritan ideals. The real trouble started in 1692, when some of the younger girls in Salem Village began to experiment secretly with magic. The minister s daughter, his niece, and his servant tried to tell each other s fortune. In time, more village girls joined them. One made a sort of crystal ball from an egg white suspended in a glass. She said that she hoped to see her future husband. Instead, she saw, or thought she saw, a coffin. She and her friends were terrified. They imagined that they saw all kinds of horrible things in the glass. Some of them developed a mental illness called hysteria and began to suffer convulsive fits. The doctor, along with the other villagers, believed that the girls playing with magic had summoned Satan and his witches into their midst. Frightened adults called the girls the afflicted children and urged them to disclose who had caused their suffering. At last, they admitted they were being tortured by witches. Perhaps some of the girls were afraid of being punished, so they gave the names of neighbors with whom their families had had cross words in the past... What happened in Salem in 1692 is one of the more shameful incidents in American history. While the accused did have many courageous people speak out in their defense, an entire town allowed itself to be swept away by malice, suspicion, or fear. Although many psychiatrists today might diagnose Salem s trouble as a case of mass hysteria, it is important to look at the whole picture. The community had been divided for many years by geography, wealth, religion, and style of life, and was controlled by a strong and unforgiving religion that was on the verge of decline. Many of the accusers were people who were losing out, and many of those they accused were winning. Ultimately, this proved to be a fatal combination. In 1962, for a few dreadful months, the tables were turned.

4 Student Review Form Student Name School Grade Name of Performance What type of art form did you see onstage? (Theater? Dance? Music? Was there a combination of forms?) What did you like or dislike about the performance? How did it make you feel? (Energized? Inspired?) What did you learn from the performance? (Did it spark any new ideas?) Was there a section of the performance that you particularly liked or disliked? If so, why? What 4 adjectives would you use to describe the performance or the performers? Please mail or deliver to: Alberta Bair Theater, Education Dept., rd Ave N #200, Billings, MT 59101

5 Teacher Review Reflec ng with Your Students A er the Show It is o en a er the show that the real learning begins. You and your class have shared an experience and it s in reflec ng on the experience together that you will learn the different kinds of responses the show elicited. Sharing these responses gives students opportuni es to learn about things that they didn t see or hear. It helps them broaden their percep ons and hone their evalua ve skills, cemen ng what they themselves think. Name of performance a ended: School name: Teacher: Grade level: How helpful was the study guide in preparing your students for the performance? Very Some Not at all How helpful was the study guide in giving you classroom ac vi es you could use? Very Some Not at all Any other comments about the study guide? Please let us know what the impact of the performance was on your students: In what ways did the performance connect to the classroom? Were you sa sfied with your overall experience at the Alberta Bair Theater? Very sa sfied Somewhat sa sfied Not sa sfied Indifferent What improvements could be made? Please mail: Alberta Bair Theater, Educa on Dept., P.O. Box 1556, Billings, MT or FAX: (406)