"The Crucible"

     "I spy a poppet, Goody Proctor!".  That was my most popular line when I "stared" in The Crucible by Arthur Miller.  A little background about why Miller wrote this.  In 1953 there was a rising fear of the spread of communism in the United States.  Senator Joseph McCarthy was notorious for interviewing, nay interrogating, members of the US public eye concerning any possible connection to the communist party.  This became known as The Red Scare.  If someone was accused of having connections, by the end of their trial, whether proven guilty or innocent, the person accused had lost all reputability and any social standing.

     Seeing this injustice, and lunacy, Miller likened these events to those that occurred several hundred years prior during the Salem witch trials.  This is the basis of The Crucible.  Several young girls begin to accuse various women of witchcraft.  With nothing more than the word of a child, these poor women were arrested, given a short trial, and generally executed in obscene ways.   The focus of this play is on John Proctor who has an affair with Abigail Williams.  When John breaks off the affair, Abigail accuses John's wife of witchcraft.
     It is a little terrifying to know that just a small group of 12-year old girls were able to fool an entire town into turmoil and terror.  In the end, John must decide between his life and his dignity "It is my name!".  Truly a magnificent play with a message to always carry with you.  The only issue is that it can be a bit of a tough read because it is all written in slightly confusing "Puritan-talk".
     On another note, we did this play my junior year of high school, and I had the lead role of Ezekiel Cheever.  Although I was only on stage for a few minutes, I was truly the most important character, without a doubt... Who would have arrested Goody Proctor???  Just sayin'...

I give it 4 out of 5 Wildes.

Extra Bonus Picture:

This is indeed me performing the line, "I spy a poppet".  What a stud.

"Animal Farm"

     This next one is often described as as a "fairy tale for grown-ups".  Animal Farm was written by George Orwell in 1945.  It is an allegory tale about a group of animals who take over a farm and kick out all of their human owners.  It is in reference to the rise of the Soviet Party in modern day Russia under Joseph Stalin.

     This book reminds me very much of those miniature ecosystems in which you can watch how an ecosystem forms.  Except this time, it's about how a government can form.  The idea is that all the animals take over the farm as a unified body, but then the smarter animals, the pigs, begin to slowly take over the farm all together.  It's a really interesting look into how power can go to someone's head and make them turn on their original ideals.  Overall a really great message.

I give it 4 out of 5 Wildes.