Emma Barth, a Learning Resource teacher, and Jo Gavin, a Physics teacher, are making their directorial debut this weekend with a production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible.
Many Normal West students-current and past-will recognize this story as a part of the English III curriculum that all students study.
In fact, Barth, who has been a co-teacher in an English III classroom for the past few years, used her classroom experiences with the play when making the decision to use the production for this year’s Normal West Fall play.
After a rise in participation, Barth and Gavin also chose the production of The Crucible for its large number of roles and the diversity the plot and casting offers.
“Radium Girls and Clue, [West’s previous Fall plays], were a little newer, and The Crucible is a classic,” Barth notes of the choice.
In their debut as co-directors, both Barth and Gavin have learned a lot, bouncing ideas off of one another and taking their past experiences to get ready for this year’s show.
“This is my first experience directing a show and I have loved every minute of it. Mx. Gavin and I have gotten along very well, and we have had a very smooth process of rehearsing these past couple of months. I literally could not have done it without them. The rehearsal process for this show has gone very well, and I am truly going to miss this cast when the show is over,” Barth states.
The cast and crew feature seasoned returners like Seniors Faithe Streily, Alex McFadden, Tyler Charlotte, Lyn Southall, among countless others whose hard work won’t go unnoticed.
“I feel like it’s gone pretty well…honestly, I mean it’s a different experience because a new director will always have their different caveats and what not, but I feel like as a cast and as a crew, we’ve been able to pull the show together really well and have been able to overcome challenges and stuff like that,” Senior Tyler Charlotte, who plays Reverend Parris in the play, states of his experience.
Barth and Gavin are excited about their cast and note that they have worked extra hard all Fall.
“They make [the process] fun, and even though the show is not a funny thing, the kids are always laughing,” Barth gushes over the atmosphere at rehearsals.
Barth is not the only one who recognizes the positivity surrounding the cast. In fact, Senior Lyn Southall, who plays Elizabeth Proctorin the production, is very proud of her castmates’ skills, as well.
“The amount of artistic talent that is in the cast is something that helps with blocking and making the scenes more emotional because while the directors can tell us where to go, it’s up to the actors to move their body and hands and raise their voice when needed to portray a right tone for the story,” Southall gloats about her castmates.
As viewers prepare to enjoy the play, cast members note that although there are a few differences, viewers going to see the play can expect to be transported into the story as many of the original details of the story are the same.
“There are a few differences. Marshall Hopkins is not a character in this version of the show; instead all of his lines are given to a character called John Willard. They have the same role, but just have different names. Some of the dialogue is different as well, but the same story is portrayed. Any viewer can expect to be transported to Salem, Massachusetts in the 1690’s to see how mass hysteria can affect a group of people in a town and what that does to the village,” Barth notes.
Showtimes for the play are Friday, October 11 and Saturday, October 12 starting at 7 p.m. and Sunday, October 13 starting at 2 p.m.. The shows should run around two hours. Tickets are $10, payable at the door or online.