Last week I had a great chance to see the UBC Theatre program’s last show of the season! They’ve been doing more contemporary plays all season, so it was exciting to see them visit a classic: the Crucible.

When you think of witches in history, you think of Salem. The Massachusetts town was the backdrop for this American nail biter. Set in the 1600s, the Crucible tells the story of a community plagued with guilt, fear, and accusations. From the UBC Website:

“The Crucible is a timeless parable of morality, a scorching indictment of intolerance, and a central work in the canon of American drama. In a tight-knit Puritan town, a group of girls are discovered dancing in the woods and then immediately fall ill causing panic to percolate. Buried secrets are brought to light, and scapegoating leads to treachery and betrayal.”

This production was directed by one of UBCs Masters of Fine Arts students. The set was wonderfully designed, with moving rafters that slowly cracked until they seemed to cradle the actors on stage. You could feel the emotion and turmoil dripping off the stage!

If you’ve seen any of the other UBC plays, you’ll start to see some familiar faces in the cast. The theatre program has definitely tried to let different cast members shine in lead roles through the season, and it’s satisfying to see that they’re all quite talented.

The show was a bit long, clocking in at 3 hours plus a 15-minute intermission, so prepare for a long night of oohs, aahs, and gasps.

Be sure to catch it at the main UBC campus, while it runs until March 31st. Find more information on showtimes and tickets here.