Scott and I went to see a play last night.  It's a surprise really, I don't usually like to watch plays.  Weird, as I act in and direct them, but that's the way it is.  I get too fidgety and bored.  But last nights performance of "The Crucible" at the Grand theater in SLC held my interest.

The first observation was that the Grand theater is quiet beautiful.  It's the old style of almost Gothic architecture with flowery moldings and high arched ceilings. The stage is massive and filled with all those cool fly systems and scrims and lights.  But the seats are old and hard.  Scott had to go stand in the back so his back wouldn't kill him.  I sat alone.

"The Crucible" written by Arthur Miller, is about the Salem Witch Trials and was written in the 1950's during the McArthey era.  Social issues were very similar during both time periods, and the scary thing is; we're seeing these same issues today.  One falsehood spread to the masses can create mass hysteria which ends in social discombobulation.  Anyway, enough of the social and political stuff.  I don't know much about them.  So I'll go onto other things that I still don't know much about.

The performance:  I couldn't hear very well even though the actors had mics. There was a ton of high pitched screaming that only young teenage girls can do.  That was bothersome.  Some of the actors, even though they had performed a lot all over Salt Lake County, were not very good.  I was confused on how they got cast.  I know as a director that if you can get a really good cast, then your job is 75% done. Anyway, these things were minor.  Sort of.

I really loved Dave Hanson and Cassandra Stokes-Wylie as John and Elizabeth Proctor.  Their scenes together were moving and well acted.  I liked the intimate feeling of their relationship.  I also liked Max Robinson as Judge Danforth,  Richard Scharine as Giles Corey, and Tyson Richard Baker as Rev. Hale.  The rest of the cast were okay, or terribly bad.  The young girls who played the children who started the hysteria of the witch trials will only get better as they get older and get more acting experience.  The group scenes were very disjointed and lacked focus. Scott didn't much care for the direction of the piece. It's a good thing the play speaks for itself.  It's kind of hard to ruin "The Crucible" completely.

Over all I enjoyed the play and my evening.

In other news:  I don't have strep, only some other virus that should get better with the antibiotics I'm taking.  "Anne of Green Gables" opens this week in the Brinton Black Box at the Covey.  I know that at least 3 shows are sold out with others close to it, so come see the show, but get tickets soon.  Like tomorrow!

Bye for now.