Casting Performers for "The Crucible" Play

A hardworking middle aged farmer, husband, and father. He values honesty and has a great disdain for hypocrisy. Ironically, John is hiding a dirty little secret of his own. His wife Elizabeth Proctor loves and respects him although she knows he is not without human failing.

John Proctor's wife. Elizabeth fired Abigail when she discovered that her husband was having an affair with her. Elizabeth is supremely virtuous, morally good, and upright, but often cold. She will never lie, but when called upon to tell the truth in court, she ends up damning her husband.

A practical man, he approaches the witchcraft trials with a strict adherence to his legal dictate that an accusation of witchery automatically entails a conviction. Sees himself as the law incarnate.

Reverend Parris' niece, Abigail was once the servant for the Proctor household, but was fired by Elizabeth Proctor after she discovered that Abigail was having an affair with her husband, John. Abigail is smart, wily, vengeful, manipulative, vindictive, and a magnificent liar. Abigail will be part of the prologue, dancing in the forest with Tituba & the other girls.

A neighboring minister reputed to be an expert on witchcraft. Hale is a committed Christian and experienced witch-hunter. His critical mind and intelligence save him from falling into blind fervor. His arrival sets the hysteria in motion, although he later regrets his actions and attempts to save the lives of those accused. He ends up a broken, cynical man.

The new servant in the Proctor household and a member of Abigail's group of girls. She is a timid girl, easily influenced by those around her, who tries, unsuccessfully, to expose the hoax of witchcraft. She is a weak girl who gets in way over her head with what's going on around her.

The minister of Salem's church. Reverend Parris is a paranoid, power-hungry, yet oddly self- pitying figure. He is a greedy, spineless, wormy little character. Many of the townsfolk, especially John Proctor, dislike him, and Parris is very concerned with maintaining his position in the community.

Rebecca is 71 years old, Francis Nurse's wife. Rebecca is a wise, sensible, and upright woman, held in tremendous regard as a pillar of the Salem community. However, she falls victim to the hysteria when the Putnams accuse her of witchcraft and she refuses to confess, even though it means going to her death.

A judge who presides, along with Danforth, over the witch trials. He is second in command, in need of better people skills.

Giles is 81, an elderly but feisty farmer in Salem, famous for his tendency to file lawsuits. Giles' wife, Martha, is accused of witchcraft, and his attempt to defend her backfires. He is held in contempt of court and stands mute, so as to subject any others to arrest.

Martha is 72, Giles Corey's third wife. Martha's reading habits lead her to her arrest and conviction for witchcraft.

Francis is 74 years old, a wealthy influential man in Salem. Nurse is well respected by most people i n Salem, but is an enemy of Thomas Putnam and his wife. He is a good man and a good husband who has the courage to stand up to the court to try and save his wife, Rebecca.

Putnam was 50 years old, and another wealthy influential citizen of Salem. He is greedy, selfish and petty. Putnam uses his daughter to accuse people of witchcraft whose property he covets, and once condemned, buys up their land, and thus increases his own wealth.

Ann is 45 years old, Thomas Putnam's wife. She is sad and angry, having given birth to eight children, but only one, Ruth Putnam, has survived. The other seven died before they were a day old and Annis convinced that they were murdered by supernatural means.

Ruth is 15 years old, the lone surviving child of the Putnams. Like Betty Parris, Ruth falls into a strange stupor after Reverend Parris catches her and the other girls dancing in the woods at night.

Reverend Parris' 10 year old daughter, Betty also falls into a strange stupor after being caught dancing in the woods with Tituba and the other girls. Her illness, and that of Ruth Putnam fuel the first rumors of witchcraft.

Mercy is servant to the Putnams. One of the girls in Abigail's group, she joins in condemning various villagers as witches. Mercy will be part of the prologue, dancing in the forest with Tituba and the other girls.

Susanna is 15 years old, another one of the girls in Abigail's group. Susanna will be part of the prologue, dancing in the forest with Tituba & the other girls.

Ezekiel is the town tailor who acts as clerk of the court during the witch trials. He is upright, obedient and determined to do his duty for justice.

Sarah is 58 years old, a mentally unstable, homeless lady of Salem, accused of witchcraft by Abigail.