The Crucible NYC Reviews and Tickets

"For 'The Crucible,' it feels as if van Hove has reverted to his previous attack, although I’m not sure I know what subtextual element(s) he’s stressing...The cast members aren’t so much giving a performance of Miller’s 'Crucible' as they are in the process of rehearsing it...They all do their best within the limitations van Hove imposes...Perhaps Miller’s somehow sad achievement is that as society evolves, 'The Crucible' will continue relevant to whatever is unfolding at whatever era."
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"Uncanniness is everywhere in Ivo van Hove’s probing yet flawed revival...It appears overly reliant on theatrical tricks and somehow incomplete, an exploration of a piece of dramatic literature rather than a fully realized embodiment of or challenge to it. But it is nearly always visually interesting and the actors often bring a really startling emotional intimacy to the work...Much of the play’s tragic intensity has slipped away and the whole lacks any real sense of moral hazard or horror."
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"In van Hove’s new revival of 'The Crucible,' evil lurks in ways that it’s best for theatergoers to discover on their own and not in this review. What can be written is that van Hove knows how to put on a good old-fashioned fire-and-brimstone spectacle, and he makes us believe it...Over the years, van Hove’s challenging, insightful productions have given the city some of its most illuminating nights in the theater. With 'The Crucible,' he shows an even surer hand with his actors."
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"Too long, too wordy and too didactic...The stellar casting and my curiosity to see how hotshot director Ivo van Hove would impose his stamp on the material led me to buy a ticket...While I had some reservations about van Hove’s take on 'A View from the Bridge,' I did find it compelling and unified. Not so with 'The Crucible'...As for the actors, it’s a mixed bag."
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"'The Crucible' is inherently such a powerful play that its strength comes through even when director van Hove gets his hands on it...Van Hove stamps it with his own flashy staging, some of which absurdly runs counter to what the play is about…Ben Whishaw gives a stalwart performance as the falsely accused Proctor…I have seen various productions of 'The Crucible,' and even though this one is the least effective in my theatergoing experience, Miller’s durable work still resonates."
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"Van Hove brings his signature flair for Greek Drama to the story...The production is stylized to a fault and includes several moments of visually stunning stagecraft...The icy, high-concept treatment throws certain of Miller’s themes into dramatic relief. But it also tends drown out the subtlety of the human drama, leaving little room for the nuances that make the characters actually feel human...Shovels on much food for thought, but there is a palpable sense of relief when the curtain drops."
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"Perhaps because 'Crucible' invokes the supernatural, the staging seems less mannered than van Hove's take on Miller's 'A View From the Bridge' last fall — but not much. Philip Glass's eerie score hums under the dialogue...But the excellent actors help ensure that Miller's dialogue is never overshadowed."
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"This is a topical take on 'The Crucible'...The onetime doyen of the Off Broadway avant-garde seems intent on honouring the spirit of a playwright whose greatness can occasionally come at a ponderous price. There’s no hint of ponderousness here, though, where the air is charged with the chill winds of chaos...No amount of directorial tweaks or innovations would matter without a cast able to transform an often worthy play into one that is properly wounding."
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