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The Crucibles

Teatro Nacional São João

“Below its concerns with justice the play evokes a lethal brew of illicit sexuality, fear of the supernatural, and political manipulation.” Arthur Miller

The Crucibles
Arthur Miller

The Crucibles

Directed by Nuno Cardoso
Teatro Nacional São João
Opening Date
16-03-2023

“The Crucible was an act of desperation.” Thus the playwright Arthur Miller describes the genesis of this play, which is based on historical facts. In 1692, in the small American city of Salem, men and women are persecuted and put in trial for witchcraft. Rumours and lies are aflame, and no one seems safe from accusation or revenge. Premiered in 1953, The Crucible was conceived as an allegory of the darkness of McCarthyism, which corroded the heart of America. Miller was also a victim of that anti-communist fever. Out of its epicentre – a primeval fascination with paranoia, a collective rage that demands the sacrifice of individuals – multiple echoes resound today. With this play, Nuno Cardoso continues his inquiry into the foundations of community life, a new study of social man’s blindness. Miller again: “Below its concerns with justice the play evokes a lethal brew of illicit sexuality, fear of the supernatural, and political manipulation.”

The Crucible will tour as follows:

22 - 23rd of April | Hungrian Theatre of Cluj, Romania

6st of May | Teatro Municipal de Vila Real, Portugal

29 - 30th of June | CCB – Centro Cultural de Belém, Lisbon, Portugal

30 September | Teatro Aveirense, Aveiro, Portugal

19 - 20th of October | Theatro Circo, Braga, Portugal

Photo credits: João Tuna

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The Crucibles
The Crucibles
The Crucibles
The Crucibles