The Crucible, Arthur Miller’s Tony-winning 1953 dramatization of the real-life Salem witch trials, opened on Broadway January 22, 1953.
Miller’s play, an indictment of the political paranoia that defined the McCarthy Era’s anti-communist “witch hunts” that cost many their livelihoods, won the 1953 Tony Award for Best Play. The drama has since been revived on Broadway four times.
In honor of the opening of the Broadway production, take a look back at the history of The Crucible on Broadway.
The Crucible Playbill - March 1953
Arthur Kennedy, Beatrice Straight, and cast of the 1953 production of The Crucible
Fred Fehl/©NYPL for the Performing Arts
Arthur Kennedy and Beatrice Straight in the 1953 production of The Crucible
The Crucible Playbill - Nov 1991
George N. Martin, Martin Sheen, Jane Adams, and John Beal
Maryann Plunkett and Martin Sheen
Martin Sheen
Michael York, Fritz Weaver, Martin Sheen, and Jane Adams
Nell Balaban, Madeleine Potter, Jane Adams, and Danielle Ferland
Joan Marcus
The Crucible Playbill
A Scene from The Crucible
Liam Neeson and Laura Linney in a promotional shot
Liam Neeson, Jennifer Carpenter, and Brian Murray in The Crucible
Liam Neeson and Laura Linney in The Crucible
Liam Neeson
The Crucible Playbill - Opening Night
Sophie Okonedo and Ben Whishaw in a scene from Arthur Miller’s The Crucible
Jan Versweyveld
Saoirse Ronan, Elizabeth Teeter, Tavi Gevinson, Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut, and Erin Wilhelmi.
Jan Versweyveld
Elizabeth Teeter, Saoirse Ronan, and Tavi Gevinson
Jan Versweyveld
Saoirse Ronan and Ben Whishaw
Jan Versweyveld
