It was not without significance that the set and characters of last night's Toledo Opera production of Robert Ward's The Crucible were so frequently cast in shadow. The message was bitter, but simple: the clear light of reason can be defeated by deception and innuendo. Wrong is easily disguised as right.
One would like to think that playwright Arthur Miller's story of witchcraft in Salem (a work itself born in response to the modern witch hunts of the McCarthy era) was a period piece, relevant only to times thankfully gone by. If only.
Last night, and with unblinking focus, the present seemed cloaked in the dress and manners of the past. The experience was chilling.
At the center of the story is John Proctor, a good man, but also an adulterer. Caught in the wave of religious hysteria that sweeps Salem, he tries to save his wife Elizabeth, who has been accused of witchcraft by Abigail Williams, his onetime lover. In the process, he too is accused and sentenced to hang.
Proctor can save himself should he confess. He cannot.
Baritone Michael Chioldi gave Proctor a powerful, yet sympathetic reading. The voice was elegant, the character complex.
Singing Elizabeth was rich-toned mezzo-soprano Kate Aldrich, whose portrayal developed from ice to warmth as the story unfolded. In the end she was cruelly broken, but fully realized.
Soprano Vanessa Conlin presented a sultry and willowy Abigail. Unfortunately, her colorful voice was often buried by the orchestra.
Balance was a recurring problem. Singers forced lines as they contested with a muscular orchestra directed by Thomas Conlin, who often sacrificed nuance for momentum.
Other vocal standouts included mellifluous mezzo-soprano Kathleen Segar, who gave a well-articulated portrayal of the saintly Rebecca Nurse.
Toledo Opera presents The Crucible again on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday (April 25) at 2 p.m. at the Valentine Theatre. Information: 419-255-7464.
Contact Steven Cornelius at: scornelius@theblade.com or 419-724-6152.
First Published April 18, 2004, 12:24 p.m.
