Playbill | From the Director for the Arts

Power up your broom and welcome to Salem!

Thank you for joining us for this ever-poignant look at the Salem witch trials of the 1690s. If this is your first exposure to what the New York Times called “a powerful play,” Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is sure to make you wonder if this is really about the witch trials or other, more recent historical and political settings.

Many of you know one of my favorite statements about the arts is that the arts make you think, the arts make you feel – the arts make us human. The Crucible is extremely noteworthy for its ability to do all that, and is a significant reason why it became and has remained a major American classic.

As many of you know, we recently lost the “Father” of University Theatre, John McIlwee. John’s vision and multiple talents grew University Theatre into one of the most celebrated theatre entities in the Triangle and beyond, and we are forever indebted to John for his love of theatre and passion for working with colleagues and students. We miss him dearly.

I’m glad you’re taking this opportunity to witness one of the world’s most notable plays, and I look forward to seeing may of you in person at this or other arts events throughout the remainder of this school year.

Rich Holly
Executive Director for the Arts