2023 Photos by Will Hanson
2025 Photos by Tom Taintor
“The combined talents of this cast and crew produce somber and powerful production of The Crucible.”
Before QAnon, before the Satanic Panic, and before the Red Scare, there were the Salem Witch Trials: weaponized othering for simple revenge, or personal gain. The Crucible reminds us that ‘We are what we always were’ and the urgent need for us as a community to push back against bigotry. Before we, like Salem, get consumed by it.
In this world of The Crucible, the audience finds itself in The Society: an isolated, controlled, cult-like community. Here we see how quickly and devastatingly the consequences of repression, brutal control, and insidious politics can consume all in its path.
This is a true ensemble; EVERY SINGLE character is urgently needed to tell this story of a community self-destructing. There are so many layers to every character and every relationship on stage. We are not shying away from the truth that these are real people in real relationships that can be messy, funny, furious, and human.
Nothing is simple, nothing can be taken for granted, nothing is safe. This is the story of a community screaming, yelling, accusing, and blindly running towards self-implosion.
It reminds us that we as humans keep making the same mistakes, and we keep finding ourselves in a crucible of our own making.
The Crucible was performed in 2023 at The Mounds Theatre, St. Paul. And in 2025 at Living Spirit Methodist Church, Minneapolis.
Penelope Parsons-Lord - Director/Head Producer/Costume Designer
Erika Sasseville - Consulting Director/Assistant Sound Designer
Keven Lock - Scenic Designer
Dom Detwiler - Producer/Assistant Prop Designer
Krista Weiss - Producer/Costume Designer/Front of House Manager
Gabe Hubbard - Lighting Designer
Steve Larson - Sound Designer
Robin Gilmer - Hair & Makeup Designer
Maggie Mae Sulente - Act 1 Movement/Lift & Fight Choreography
Derek Dirlam - Producer
Amanda Chail - Producer/Movement Captain
Beatriz Kelly - Social Media Director
Andrew Pritchard - Stage Manager/Light Board Op
Christopher Goddard - Assistant Stage Manager/ Assistant Prop Designer/ Graphic Designer/ Soundboard Op
Kate Thurn - Accusers Ensemble
Annie O'Niell - Accusers Ensemble
Madeline Jackobs - Accusers Ensemble
Isabelle Hopewell - Abigail Williams/ Accusers Ensemble
Mary Lofredo - Mercy Lewis/ Accusers Ensemble
Kate Bonnett - Betty Parris/Accusers Ensemble
Maria Vitelli - Susanna Walcott/Accusers Ensemble
Beatriz Kelly - Tituba/Accusers Ensemble
Stephanie Kahle - Marry Warren
Patti Gage - Reverend Parris
Amanda Chial - Ann Putnam/Accusers Ensemble
Jason Kornelis - Thomas Putnam
Derek Dirlam - John Proctor
Robin Gilmer - Rebecca Nurse
Michael Kelly - Giles Corey
Lizzie Esposito - Reverend Hale
Penelope Parsons-Lord - Elizabeth Proctor
Al Feine - Francis Nurse
Marguerite Arbogast - Judge Hathorne
Dom Detwiler - Ezekiel Cheever
Cassie Liberkowski - Willard
Aaron Ruder - Deputy Governor Danforth
Krista Weiss - Martha Corey
Director – Penelope Parsons-Lord
Consulting Director – Erika Sasseville
Consulting Fight and Movement Coach – Maggie Mae Sulentic
Stage Manager – Abby Narveson
Producers – Penelope Parsons-Lord, Krista Weiss, Rachel Linder & Derek Dirlam
Set Designer – Michael Haas
Lighting Designer – Mitchel Frazier
Costume Design – Penelope Parsons-Lord & Krista Weiss
Sound Designer – Steve Larson
Makeup Design – Robin Gilmer
Production Photographer - Will Hanson
Lighting Op - B Kelly
Set Construction – Jory Wagenman
Musial Arrangement – Mike McKinney
Opening Sequence Choreography – Jacob Hermann
Publicity Design – Aleksander Sievert & Derek Dirlam
Ensmeble – Sarah Quinn
Ensemble – Genna Dow
Mary Warren/Ensemble – Maddie Neal
Susanna Walcott/Ensemble – Nora Lee Young
Mercy Lewis/ Ensemble – Ellie Cassidy
Betty/ Ensemble – Ani Heikkila
Abigail Williams – Rachel Linder
Tituba – Abdimalik Ahmed
Reverend Parris – Kjer Whiting
Ann Putnam/Ensemble – Amanda Chial
Thomas Putnam – Jon Stentz
John Proctor – Derek Dirlam
Giles Cory – Mark Olson
Rebecca Nurse – Robin Gilmer
Reverend Hale – Alyssa Ehlen
Elizabeth Proctor – Penelope Parsons-Lord
Francis Nurse – Al Fiene
Judge Hawthorn – Molly Choate
Deputy Governor Danforth – Aleksander Sievert