By: Katie Tilton, Fund for the Arts Communications Intern
Commonwealth Theatre Center opened its doors to give us an inside look at their upcoming productions. The Crucible is opening on October 12th, and we sat in on the dress rehearsal. The actors took us back in time to the Puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts, where rumors of witchcraft spread like wildfire. A group of girls were caught dancing in the woods, and it started a whirlwind of rumors, trials, and accusations. We don’t want to spoil everything for you, but this is a must-see!
The amazing element of this play is that CTC staff and students both act in it. The staff are committed to developing the younger actors’ talents. The professionals working in The Crucible posses a wide range of expertise in theatrical disciplines, so the students are gaining a great breadth of knowledge. The skills the students acquire enable them to think creatively and develop professional skills, which helps them prepare for their future careers. Charlie Sexton, the director of The Crucible, has done a truly astounding job; both the staff and students perform with such enthusiasm and emotion, and are truly a treat to watch. The play is bound to be a success and we are really excited to see them perform live!
We also got to peek in on the rehearsal of Welcome to Wandaland. This performance will be the Louisville Premier of Welcome to Wandaland. We can see the challenges faced by young black students during a time in history where paradigms were shifting for African-American people; live performances start on November 9th.