Darlings, I Am Telling You, The Wolf Should Have Gotten A Curtain Call!!!!!!!!!!!!

                               Look at this poster.  Evil just seems to be emanating from Saoirse Ronan's being.  Too bad that evil does not emanate on stage.

                                It is sad for me to report that Ivo Van Hove, who worked theatrical magic out of Elizabeth Marvel and Company in Lillian Hellman's "The Little Foxes" some years back, has now, sadly, drained all the magic there is from "The Crucible."  He has refurbished it with lighting, visuals, and gimmicks that suggest he wants to imitate Ryan Murphy.  Except that is not what "The Crucible" is.

                                  There is no eye of the storm here.  Saoirse Ronan, who cannot be blamed altogether, plays Abigail Williams in such an understated manner that anything she tries to display here is not convincing at all. When the girls do their repetitious acts with her as leader, they descend to the level of camp, and the question of whether or not they are bewitched is moot, because the end product is not chilling, the way it should be.  Is the director trying to say they are bewitched??????? Or is he making fun of these posturing???????.  These posturings were enough, in reality, to destroy lives and families, but, as  exhibited here, who would blame these over aged brats?

                                     For that is how they come off.  I have never seen a "Crucible" where all the girls are so post pubescent.  Is this some kind of statement on the menstrual cycle?  Again, Van Howe gives no clues.

                                        One girl levitates in the air. Big deal.  The concept is a classroom, symbol of authority, but it is constantly being violated, when props like farm tools and a stove, meant to suggest the Proctor residence, is brought out.  Stick to your scheme, Mr. Van Hove, or get off our shores, and stop desecrating our playwrights.

                                          Saoirse may not satisfy, but Tavi Gevinson practically walks off with the whole thing as Mary Warren. Elizabeth Teeter is compelling as Betty Parris, if a bit mature for the role. But the others--Jim Norton as Giles Corey, Tina Benko, playing both Ann Putnam and Sarah Good, and especially Sophie Okonedo and Ben Whishaw are deeply moving as the Proctors. Their final scene is the only thing in this "Crucible" that plays correctly.

                                           Of all the gimmicks employed in this contrivance, the wolf is by far by the best. It dashes across the stage, amid darkened light and some dry ice, in as professional a manner as could be hoped; more professional than Hove's direction.

                                              The audience gasped. And applauded. Yet, when the curtain came down, the wolf did not get a curtain call--and he rates one!  I demand the show's Equity Deputy remedy this situation, especially by the Friday night performance.

                                      The wolf is played by a purebred Tamaskan puppy, named Luchta. Make sure you see him, and not the understudy.  Luchta brings the audience out of its stupor during "The Crucible," making his star entrance the only gimmick once can admire from Van Hove's production. Had I know about Luchta, before the TONYS, I would have insisted he get a nomination!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       This is not "The Crucible," darlings!  This is some director's ersatz attempt to assimilate himself into American culture.  It does not work.

                                        But Luchta does!  Cry wolf for him, darlings, and rock on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         And, Ivo, as long as you were doing a Ryan Murphy riff, couldn't you have had Sarah Paulson make an appearance, dressed as Hypodermic Sally?  That would have livened things up tremendously!!!!!!!!!!!!