Newtown High School students have been working hard, and the fall drama The Crucible is set to be staged this weekend, November 15 to 18.

Performances will be staged at 7 pm on November 15 to 17 and at 2 pm on November 18. Tickets are $7 for students, $10 for senior citizens, and $12 for adults. Tickets will be sold at the door.

NHS theater and language arts teacher Janice Gabriel is advising the production with NHS choral director Jane Matson and Sarah Desrosiers. The production is student run. It is being directed by students Emma Stierle and Sarah Grant. Student Kayla Verga is producing the play, and student Jessica Andreotta is the production’s assistant director.

Emma described the play as “interesting, haunting, riveting, and thrilling.”

Sarah said, “It’s a classic, and it is also something that has sadly been relevant since it was originally written in 1953.”

The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, focuses on the Salem Witch Trials. It was written when McCarthyism was prevalent in America.

“I think it is important that society sees that an ongoing theme that comes up in politics and humanity is something we should all take note of in our daily lives so that we don’t repeat history,” Emma said, after being asked why she wanted to bring the play to the NHS stage.

Sarah said the directors thought about “making a statement” with the play when they applied to be this fall’s directors.

With a number of NHS juniors reading the play in English class this year, Kayla said offering the play as the fall drama allows those students to also see the play.

When asked why she thinks people should come see the play, Jessica said, “It is about witches.”

Cast members for the production are Olivia Doscher as Betty Parris; Will Crebbin as Reverend Samuel Parris; Savannah Valentin as Tituba; Lindsay Dievert as Abigail Williams; Leah Navin as Susanna Walcott; Payge Shaw as Mrs Ann Putnam; Matthew Rivera as Thomas Putnam; Jane Shearin as Mercy Lewis; Charlotte Cartelli as Mary Warren; Aidan Moulder as John Proctor; Jess Adair as Rebecca Nurse; Sean Kenny as Giles Corey; Nate Wheeler as Reverend John Hale; Annie Davidow as Elizabeth Proctor; Random Thorflyn as Francis Nurse; Zac Ziperstein as Ezekiel Cheever; Owen Browne as John Willard; Michael Arena as Judge Hathorne; Cristina Gomes as Martha Corey; Jonathan Crosby as Deputy-Governor Danforth; Sarah Marsh as Sarah Good; Matthew Rivera as Hopkins; and Katie Bisset, Gillian Faircloth, Joan Gogliettino, Elisabeth Gotschlich, Maddie Hintze, and McKenna Wolf as village girls.

Crew members on the production are Directors Sarah Grant and Emma Stierle; Assistant Director Jessica Andreotta; Production Stage Manager Danielle Wassmer; Stage Manager Miles Dievert; Producer Kayla Verga; Technical Director Bobby Gaffney; Assistant Technical Director Alix Lewis; construction heads Marina Altimari and Ashley Carnes; scenic designers Maddie Hossler and Nina Soriano; props master Sammy Vertucci; costume head Mackenzie Hughes; lighting designers Bobby Gaffney and Evelyn Schwertley; sound designers Phoebe Mack and Cassidy Tran; composers Lindsay Dievert and Sarah Grant; musicians Michael Arena, Emma Carson, Thomas Hasselberger, Ellery McFarland, Avan Sheridan, Andy Zhang, and Collin Zhang; poster design by Danielle Wassmer; lobby display by Michael Arena, Sarah Grant, Maddie Hossler, Hailey Pankow, and Nina Soriano; and running crew members Marina Altimari, Ashley Carnes, Miles Dievert, Bobby Gaffney, Katie Jones, Leah McCafferty, Julie Olson, Nina Soriano, and Dante Verna.