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For our July read, we will be reading The Crucible by Arthur Miller!

The Crucible, Arthur Miller's 1953 play about the Salem witch trials, written as a response to McCarthyism. It's been challenged and pulled from school shelves for decades, usually for its language, its portrayal of witchcraft, or its politics. It's also short, so it's a good pick if you're behind on reading.
We'll talk about why this keeps getting banned, what Miller was really writing about, and why it still gets staged constantly more than 70 years later.

Why now: I also organize a theater group, and we're seeing The Crucible on the outdoor stage at the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City the week of August 4. Reading it together first is the point of this month's pick. If you'd like to see it performed, the trip is open to anyone. Details here: USF trip event. No pressure at all if you just want to read and discuss.

Companion piece: If you're curious, Kimberly Belflower's John Proctor is the Villain (2022) is a modern play about a high school class reading The Crucible and arguing about whether Proctor deserves to be the hero. It's a great pairing, and worth reading or seeing if you get the chance.

The Book

  • Title: The Crucible
  • Author: Arthur Miller
  • Description: The place is Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692, an enclave of rigid piety huddled on the edge of a wilderness. Its inhabitants believe unquestioningly in their own sanctity. But in Arthur Miller's edgy masterpiece, that very belief will have poisonous consequences when a vengeful teenager accuses a rival of witchcraft—and then when those accusations multiply to consume the entire village.

First produced in 1953, at a time when America was convulsed by a new epidemic of witch-hunting, The Crucible brilliantly explores the threshold between individual guilt and mass hysteria, personal spite and collective evil. It is a play that is not only relentlessly suspenseful and vastly moving but that compels readers to fathom their hearts and consciences in ways that only the greatest theater ever can.

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Event Details

  • When: Sunday, July 11th from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
  • Where: Wasatch Theater Company at the Gateway Mall (77 S Rio Grande St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101)
  • What to Bring: Please bring a food item to share and your own drink of choice (alcohol is allowed!).
  • Get Connected: Click here to join us on GroupMe to vote on future books and chat with fellow members.

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Stay Connected on GroupMe!
Don't wait until the meetup to join the conversation!

Join our active GroupMe community to:

  • Discuss current reads in real-time.
  • Cast your vote in polls to help choose our upcoming books.
  • Connect with other club members between meetings.
  • Click Here to Join us on GroupMe

*Reminder: This is a strictly non-political, respectful space for all viewpoints. We stick to the book, not politics! See you there!*

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