Ever curious about what goes into the preparation of one of PHUHS’s incredible theater performances? The leads are here to spill the beans. 

Aidan Bartholomew (‘24), playing Judge Danforth

1. What is your favorite thing about being part of the drama program at PHUHS? 

“My favorite thing about the drama program is the relationships that come out of it. Throughout all of the shows we do here, the cast and crew become like a little family and it’s created some of the strongest friendships I’ve ever had.”

2. Is this your first production that you have participated in? 

“No, but indeed this is my 4th production at PHU!”

3. What is it like to prepare for this production? What does the preparation entail? 

“It’s a very long process that involves combining blocking, memorization of lines, and technical aspects. However, once everything comes together, it creates a truly spectacular picture.”

4. What are you most excited for in this experience?

“I’m excited to bring this show back to the stage! The first time we did this show in the fall, it was very fun, but the performances felt very quick. I’m happy to be back on the stage to do it all again and experience the rush and excitement of performing this show.”

5. Do you identify with your character? If so, in what ways? 

“I am Judge Danforth, who is the head judge of Puritan New England in 1692. My character is trying to help solve the witch hysteria in Salem by identifying the witches and getting them to confess. I know what I want, and I have the methods to get the results from people, which usually includes intimidation.”

6. How do you think audiences can relate to this production?

“Audiences can relate to this production by watching the mass hysteria within the show, and taking it as a warning. This production is a reference to the Red Scare in the 1950s, and shows people how society reacts when fear and power circulate heavily throughout a community, and can in fact ruin people’s lives. It should serve as a warning to the audience to not jump to conclusions.”

Charlie Lane (‘23), playing John Proctor 

1. What is your favorite thing about being part of the drama program at PHUHS? 

“My favorite thing about being part of the drama program here at PHUHS is the very high level productions we put on. Another great thing is the wonderful community we have, everyone is so welcoming and so friendly and most of all, incredibly talented!”

2. Is this your first production that you have participated in? 

“This show is not my first production at PHU, in fact it’s one of my last! I have been in every show here since 2019! Every single production has been such an amazing experience and each one is better than the last!”

3. What is it like to prepare for this production? What does the preparation entail? 

“The preparation for this show has been quite intense. This show requires a lot of emotional vulnerability, so trying to keep up that intensity during scenes has been challenging. Additionally, everyone has done heavy research on this show and their characters.”

4. What are you most excited for in this experience?

“I am most excited for telling this powerful story and honoring it well! The story of “The Crucible” is so important and so relevant to today.”

5. Do you identify with your character? If so, in what ways?  

“I play John Proctor. John Proctor is a farmer from Salem, Massachusetts who tries to convince the town of Salem that the witch accusations are false. I can’t say I identify with John Proctor directly, but I do see the humanity in him, he’s made his mistakes and he tries to fix his wrong doings.”

6. How do you think audiences can relate to this production?

“I think there are many ways people can relate to this production. People can relate to being accused of something they didn’t do, being manipulated by someone, and making mistakes. I think there are so many themes and characters that the audience can connect with, given that this story is so impactful!”

Addyson Reese (‘24), playing Abigail Williams

1. What is your favorite thing about being part of the drama program at PHUHS? 

“I love the people that I’ve met through this program, and the memories that are created throughout each rehearsal process.”

2. Is this your first production that you have participated in? 

“No, this is my fourth MainStage production that I’ve been part of at PHU!”

3. What is it like to prepare for this production? What does the preparation entail? 

“This production is a bit different from a typical PHU production because we are in the midst of remounting it for State Thespian Festival. The original run took place in October, but we started rehearsing again in January to prepare to present it at the Straz Center during the festival in March. We rehearse almost every day until 5:00 now as we enter tech week for this show.”

4. What are you most excited for in this experience?

“I am thrilled to perform The Crucible at the Straz Center for an audience of fellow thespians! I also can’t wait to represent it at our school for one last performance here.”

5. Do you identify with your character? If so, in what ways? 

“I play Abigail Williams, who is one of the primary antagonists in the play. She is manipulative and aggressive, and I do not relate to her much, but she is extremely complex and interesting.”

6. How do you think audiences can relate to this production?

“The crucible is an extremely relevant play that was written about the red scare of the 1950s, and I believe that audiences can still identify parallels to it in modern day society. One of the themes of this work is humanity, and I think each person can relate in their own way to John Proctor and his flaws.”

Emrys Black (‘24), playing Elizabeth Proctor

1. What is your favorite thing about being part of the drama program at PHUHS? 

“I absolutely love all of the people involved in the program. They are some of the most supportive and dedicated people I know, and they truly make the program incredible!”

2. Is this your first production that you have participated in? 

“The Crucible is the first production I’ve participated in onstage, however I participated offstage as the Stage Manager for The Little Mermaid last year.” 

3. What is it like to prepare for this production? What does the preparation entail? 

“For this production specifically, I spent a lot of time looking at the history behind the true events. Since the play is centered around real people and their lives, I believed it was important to know the full story. Plus it was very interesting to learn about!”

4. What are you most excited for in this experience?

“One of the reasons I’m excited for this play in particular is because The Crucible was one of the first full plays I read, so it’s very exciting to be able to participate in it myself.”

5. Who do you play? (Brief character description) Do you identify with your character? If so, in what ways? 

“Elizabeth Proctor is a hardworking woman with a strong sense of integrity and reputation, who is deeply committed to her beliefs and values. However, despite her strong moral compass, Elizabeth struggles with forgiving her husband for his past infidelity, and this tension adds complexity to her character throughout the play. I like to see myself in her dedication, and I aspire to be as strong as her.”

6. How do you think audiences can relate to this production?

“I believe audiences can relate to this production because it explores themes of fear and suspicion, which are universal human experiences. The play also highlights the dangerous consequences of unchecked power and the importance of standing up for one’s beliefs, which remain relevant in contemporary society.”

If you are interested in how the hard work of our school’s crew and cast pays off, go see The Crucible March 10 at 6:00 in the school theater, and follow @phutroupe5590 on Instagram for more updates about the show!