The summer is officially upon us when three things happen: The Hollywood Bowl launches its season, the summer solstice marking the first day of summer occurs and the season begins at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum. And indeed all three have happened. Amongst the shows this year at Theatricum Botaniucm is the Arthur Miller classic The Crucible. The show, as with all others here, runs in repertory with the rest of the programming. The final performance of The Crucible is scheduled for September 30th.
Written by Miller as a allegory for the McCarthy hearings into Communist activities in the United States, The Crucible is set in Salem, Mass and looks into whether or not three girls who seem bewitched are right in claiming so many in their community are truly witches. And if so, what should happen to them. In other words, since the term “witch hunt” is getting regularly used these days, this truly depicts just that.
Ellen Geer, Will’s daughter (he of The Waltons), directs this production. Theatricum Botanicum is in Topanga and is an outdoor theatre. Some food and drink is available for sale at the venue or you can also picnic in advance of the show.
Other plays being performed as part of this summer’s season include Shakespeare’s Coriolanus, Enig Bagnold’s The Chalk Garden, William Dubois’ Haiti, and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Photo by Ian Flanders
