Skip to main content
2016-2017 Season

The Masks We Wear

An image of two animated hands covering eyes

by Amanda Alley, dramaturg If you were able to attend The Crucible, you may have noticed the judge's table and the church door displayed outside the Margetts Theatre.

IMG_0121

IMG_0118

You may have even taken the time to confess to witchcraft, or accuse a friend of such misdeeds.

IMG_0120

IMG_0119

We had several accusations and confessions that aluded to magical literature:

IMG_0159

IMG_0158

IMG_0156

Brother accused sister, student accused teacher, husband accused wife. There were even references to other shows produced at BYU this season:

IMG_0153

What I noticed most of all was how willing our audiences members were to accuse their friends of witchcraft. Overall, there were more accusations posted on the church doors than there were confessions. Of course this was all in sport, but I couldn't help but see the connection to the historical context of The Crucible. The Salem witch trials presented a way to exact revenge on those who felt they had been wronged by a family member, friend, or neighbor. Thomas Putnam alone assisted in creating 122 depositions. In order to divert the gaze of the church and the government, some Salem villagers acted as witnesses and placed blame elsewhere. They hid behind their accusations. The testimonies we saw on the church door were also connected to BYU's production of The Crucible. The characters in this specific production wore masks to hide their true selves - a device meant to expose the hypocricy found in religion. Those who kept their masks on for the entire production never had to fear the wrath of punishment - the girls who testified in court and the magistrates who sat in judgement were safe as long as they hid their true identity and focused on the sins of others. Could it be that, though much less severe, the accusations placed on the church door in the lobby were masks in their own way? Rather than expose themselves, did audience members prefer to accuse friends, family, or even familiar characters from their favorite novels? If you were among those who testified, what was your reasoning behind your accusation?

Related Articles

data-content-type="article"

House of Desires Sneak Peek at the Museum of Art

March 16, 2024 03:06 PM
Friday March 1, 2024. The cast of The House of Desires performed three scenes in celebration of Spanish culture and the opening of our play, partnering with the "Spain and the Hispanic World" exhibit at the BYU Museum of Art.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Guest Visits for House of Desires Creative Team

March 13, 2024 09:57 AM
The House of Desires creative team has made multiple connections across campus and disciplines this semester, and we are excited to share this unique production with so many university community members outside the Theatre and Media Arts department.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Sor Juana in Poetry and Letters

March 07, 2024 05:32 PM
Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz has sometimes been called "The Phoenix of America," as she is by far the most accomplished and globally read author to come out of the early Spanish-colonized Americas. Writing from New Spain (present day Mexico) , Sor Juana composed brilliant and biting poetry, wrote fiery letters in defense of her own creative spirit and the education of women, as well as dramas like the perfectly formed Spanish Golden Age style piece, House of Desires.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=