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THE CRUCIBLE
Limited Engagement begins February 6 at The Arclight Theatre
"One of Miller’s finest works." -- The New York Times

The Schoolhouse Theater and Mare Nostrum Elements presents a rare Off-Broadway revival of Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Arthur Miller’s THE CRUCIBLE at The Arclight Theatre. Directed by Pamela Moller Kareman, performances of this limited engagement begin February 6th with opening night scheduled for Saturday, February 9th at 6:30pm. This acclaimed regional production arrives in NYC from Croton Falls, New York where it was hailed by Westchester’s Journal News as "an edge-of-the-seat evening of theater... ingenious staging turns even off-stage moments into a revelation."

THE CRUCIBLE, a historical play based on events of the 1692 Salem witchcraft trials, is a powerful and timeless depiction of how intolerance and mass hysteria can tear a community apart. The story centers on a farmer, John Proctor, whose wife Elizabeth is accused of witchcraft by Abigail Williams, a former servant of the Proctors. In the wake of Abigail's charges, Reverend Parris begins hearing accusations and counter-accusations from all sides of the community, so he brings in a judge to determine who is guilty. A powerful parable about McCarthyism, the themes of religious persecution and the need for personal strength resonate to the present.

THE CRUCIBLE opened on Broadway in 1953, winning the Tony Award for best play. There have been four subsequent Broadway revivals, most recently the 2002 Roundabout production starring Laura Linney, Liam Neeson and Kristen Bell. There have only been 2 previous Off Broadway revivals, one in 1958 and another in 1990 (also by Roundabout, at The Union Square Theater). THE CRUCIBLE is Miller’s most-performed work in America and throughout the world.

The production stars Kevin Albert, Terry Ashe-Croft, Keith Barber, Stephanie Bayliss, Sarah Bennett, Sari Caine, Lauren Currie Lewis, Tyne Firmin, Jennifer Hildner, George Kareman, David Licht, Virginia Linden, Simon MacLean Cheryl Orsini, David Rigo, James S. Smith, Bruce Smolanoff, Sherry Stregack, John Tyrrell, and Walita with lighting by David Pentz, set byJohn Pollard, costumes by Kimberly Matela and sound design & original music by Matt Stine.

After graduating from The Neighborhood Playhouse where she studied with Sanford Meisner, Pamela Moller Kareman served as artistic director of NYC’s Acorn Productions for five years and in 1988 their production of Alan Ayckbourn's Bedroom Farce inaugurated professional theater at The Schoolhouse Theater. At the Schoolhouse she has directed plays by Lanford Wilson, Beth Henley, Tennessee Williams, John Guare, Tina Howe, and Wendy Wasserstein, among others. She directed Testpilot Production's Nora, by Ingmar Bergman at The Arclight, which moved to The Schoolhouse. She teaches acting at Carnegie Hall and was on the staff of The School for Film and Television for 13 years.

The Schoolhouse Theater was founded in 1985 by Lee Pope in a landmark building that was formerly Croton Falls Elementary School. In 1997 the Schoolhouse became a full -fledged regional theater and Pamela Moller Kareman was named artistic director. The list of actors and authors who helped to put the Schoolhouse on the map includes Karen Valentine, Polly Draper, David Marguiles, Joyce Carol Oates, Hilma Wolitzer, Sybille Pearson, and Paul Zindel. The New York Times has called The Schoolhouse Theater, "Westchester’s sole claim to consistent professional theater, where people can see plays they are not likely to see elsewhere." For more info visit schoolhousetheater.org.

Mare Nostrum Elements is an eclectic group of performers collaborating from 10 different countries, with diversified artistic training and experiences. Movement exploration and emotional activation are the fundaments of their creative process: all the members (Elements) collaborate to transform ideas into cross-disciplinary performances. Italian performer Nicola Iervasi and American actor Kevin Albert founded Mare Nostrum Elements in 2001. For more info visit www.mnelements.org.

THE CRUCIBLE runs February 6 - March 2, Wednesday@ 2pm; Thursday-Saturday @ 7:30pm; and Sunday @ 2pm, with added shows 2/6 and 2/27 at 7:30pm. The Arclight Theatre is located at 152 West 71st Street (between Broadway and Columbus Aves -- accessible from the 1,2,3 trains at 72nd Street.) Tickets are $40, $35 for students and seniors. For tickets and information call 212-352-3101 or visit TheaterMania.com.