Westside High School students were invited to audition for Westside’s performance of “The Crucible,” with open auditions on Wednesday, Jan. 15 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., and invited call-back auditions took place on Thursday, Jan. 16 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. 

“The Crucible” is a play written by Arthur Miller in 1953. It chronicles the fictional lives of a group of citizens living in Salem, Massachusetts during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The play begins with a group of young women becoming gravely ill in the middle of the woods. The mysterious circumstances cause residents of Salem to conclude the presence of witchcraft in their town, and everyone soon becomes a suspect in the ongoing trial. The play spreads a theme that the most dangerous aspect within the public can be suspicion between citizens. Student Director senior Jack Pekula said he encourages students to audition for plays at Westside because they provide fun and important experiences.

“It’s a very different experience working in a show [at Westside],” Pekula said. “There are lots of theater programs outside, but we really like to have fun with our shows. It’s so rewarding to see the end product, and it’s just a lot of fun to meet a bunch of new people and [perform] with them.” 

Pekula said acting on stage can help teach beneficial skills that performers may find useful in the future. 

“You have to work a lot on pronouncing your words correctly, and how to interact with other people,” Pekula said. 

Freshman Rose Padios auditioned for “The Crucible” and said that becoming involved in theatre has already been a rewarding experience for her. 

“[Performing] gives people a sense of community and it helps them to be part of a big group and get to know people,” Padios said.

The show will be performed on March 5, 6 and 7. Doors will open at 6:30 and curtains will open at 7. Tickets can be purchased online at warriortheatre.org. 

For more information about “The Crucible,” contact Director Jeremy Stoll at [email protected].