The Crucible

By: Arthur Miller
Directed by: James Martinelli

September 9th - 18th

ABOUT THE SHOW

The story focuses upon a young farmer, his wife, and a young servant-girl who maliciously causes the wife’s arrest for witchcraft. The farmer brings the girl to court to admit the lie—and it is here that the monstrous course of bigotry and deceit is terrifyingly depicted. The farmer, instead of saving his wife, finds himself also accused of witchcraft and ultimately condemned with a host of others.

Winner of the 1953 Tony Award for Best Play. This exciting drama about the Puritan purge of witchcraft in old Salem is both a gripping historical play and a timely parable of our contemporary society.

CREATIVE TEAM

Director: James Martinelli

Choreographer: Kevin Rainey

Production Coordinator: Chris Carlson
Assistant Director: Isaiah Lemelbaum
Set Designer: Gary VanderPutten
Lighting Designer: Leo J. Contrino

Costume Designer: Amanda Enriquez

Costume Assistant: Joshua Lopez

Properties: Jan VanderPutten

Lighting Tech: Andrea Bernardo

Sound Tech: Aurora Dreger

Scenic Painter: Loretta Agro

Graphic Designer: Ruthie Rosenbaum

Production Staff: Corrine Contrino, Leo Contrino, Arthur Strasburger

MEET THE CAST

BILL BARRY

BILL BARRY (John Proctor) Bill is thrilled to be playing this dream part in one of his favorite plays and to be working with a wonderfully talented, highly professional and joyfully cooperative cast and crew. This has truly been an ensemble process and he is grateful to all involved. Bill last appeared in a main stage play as Stan in The Heights Players Production of Sweat, directed by Jacob Clark Boggs. Other favorite roles include Lee in Jumbo Productions’ version of Sam Shepard's True West and Chuck (Outstanding Actor nominee, 2020 Perry Awards) in the Studio Playhouse original production of Complete Game. He would like to thank his beautiful wife for her love and support. For you Arthur; you would be proud of this one.

CATHERINE BROPHY

CATHERINE BROPHY (Elizabeth Proctor) Catherine was last seen in Neil Simon’s The Gingerbread Lady, also directed by James Martinelli and is thrilled to be working with The Heights Players again. She has numerous theatre, film and television credits. Highlights include The Rainmaker with The Barrow Group and Final, a feature film with Denis Leary and Hope Davis, directed by Campbell Scott. Special thanks to Mrs. Pepper for instilling the love of drama and words, to James and Chris, the entire cast and crew, especially Bill, and Jay and Radar for their support.

DAVID SHAKOPI

DAVID SHAKOPI (Deputy-Governor Danforth) Theater: Stupid Fucking Bird, Riverside Park; To Let Go And Fall, The NuBox; Night Watch, The Heights Players; Much Ado About Nothing, Soho Playhouse; A Walk on the Beach, Theater for the New City; A Man For All Seasons, The Heights Players. Film/TV: Shattered; Diabolical; Evil Lives Here; 6 Degrees of Murder. VO: Meet Cute; LO3 Energy; Restoration Row, Kognito. For M & K.

JONATHAN HANSEN

JONATHAN HANSEN (Reverend. John Hale) This is Jonathan's second performance with The Heights Players, having previously played Eddie in Fool For Love, directed by Samuel Cini. Jonathan would like to thank his family, friends and loved ones for their constant support, as well as the cast and crew for this amazing opportunity. It's an honor to present this to you.

KEVIN BAIN

KEVIN BAIN (Reverend Samuel Parris) Kevin is thrilled to be a part of this dark, intense play, The Crucible. Intrigue, eerie, desperation and Salem witches abound, a complete turnaround from portraying Charlotte Price in Casa Valentina last September. Acting, directing & lending a helping hand wherever needed as well as baking goodies for the cast & officiating for ALL couples at their weddings are my joys. Thanks to all at The Heights for bringing theatre home to Brooklyn once again.

JOE MCMURRAY

JOE MCMURRAY (Thomas Putnam) This is Joe’s debut at The Heights Players. For more than four decades, he has performed in local and regional theatres from San Francisco to Key West to New York City. Joe last performed in Newsies at Theatre Salina in Salina, KS. Favorite roles include Shrek (Lord Farquaad), Spamalot (King Arthur), Laughter on the 23rd Floor (Max), Annie (Daddy Warbucks), Tuck Everlasting (Constable Joe), Baskerville (Sherlock Holmes), Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka (Willy Wonka), Vanya, Sonya, Masha & Spike (Vanya) and Young Frankenstein (Igor). Joe is thrilled to be back in The City, and thanks Eric, his husband of 24 years, for his love and support.

WILLIAM DOYLE

WILLIAM DOYLE (Giles Corey) William is making his Heights Players debut and could not be happier than to be working with such a talented and supportive cast and crew! Special thanks to James for letting me be a part of this team! Some past roles: The Tempest (Antonio), Twelve Angry Men (Juror Number 3), and Jekyll and Hyde (General Lord Glossop).

TEDDY MONTUORI

TEDDY MONTUORI (Ezekiel Cheever) Mr. Montuori has played such diverse roles as King Creon in Euripides' Medea (Outdoor Theatre), The Creature in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and Chief Bromden in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Other roles played were Tom in William Saroyan's The Time of Your Life, Cheyenne in Sam Shepard's Tooth Of Crime and Will Masters in William Inge's Bus Stop. The Crucible marks the third stage production with James Martinelli since 2008 when he was cast by Mr. Martinelli in The Man Who Came To Dinner.

PATRICK NASH

PATRICK NASH (Francis Nurse/Hopkins) Patrick is delighted to be performing in his second show with The Heights Players. He is thrilled to be working with such a talented cast and creative team. Previous community theater shows include Mamma Mia (NCT) Pirates of Penzance (NCT) and Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Heights Players). He has written and produced several musicals, including Beulah Land, Burisma Affair and Hellfire Club. His play Funny Guy will be performed in London in January 2023. He would like to thank the entire cast of The Crucible, and especially James Martinelli for his support and inspiration.

BRIAN FARRELL

BRIAN FARRELL (John Willard) Brian Farrell is a writer and musician living in NYC. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from The Rhode Island School of Design. He recently appeared in the musical, Hellfire Club, in The New York Theatre Festival. This is his first production with The Heights Players. Listen at farrellsongs.com

HEATHER LYNN

HEATHER LYNN (Rebecca Nurse) Heather was last seen onstage as Lucy Talbot in The Heights Players’s production of Dinner at Eight earlier this year. She has also been a featured actress in Clear Blue Sky (2021), Gypsy (2019), and Fifth of July (2008), and she currently serves as the Fundraising Chair on the Executive Committee for the Board of Directors. You can follow Heather’s adventures on Instagram @theheatherlynnshow. Merde, everyone!

DAVID MOSEDER

DAVID MOSEDER (Judge Hathorne) David last performed with The Heights Players as The Old Man in Fool for Love. Among other shows he has appeared in here are 42nd Street (Abner Dillon), Harvey (Dr. Chumley), The Real Inspector Hound (Moon), Arsenic and Old Lace (Lt. Rooney), Detective Story (Pritchett) and All the King's Men (Larson). He has also emoted in Manhattan at 13th Street Repertory Theatre, Roy Arias Stages and St. Jean's Players; made stuff up with Scarecrow Babies online improv troupe; and moved and grooved with the Pacemakers Dance Team. David dedicates this performance, as always, to Terrie.

TYQUANDA JOHNSON

TYQUANDA JOHNSON (Tituba) Tyquanda is a native of Bridgeport, CT. There she discovered that she was a natural born creative. She fell in love with dance at the age of 5 and began one with the stage. She has trained with Ailey School at the age of 12 and has opened performances for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Savion Glover. She attended the Regional Center for the Arts throughout high school with concentrations in Dance and Theater. She has been cast in multiple stage plays and she starred as one of the leading roles in the award winning film Salina P. Tyquanda is also starring in the Film Sin Apple. Not only is she creative on stage, she has created a podcast called Somebody’s Mama Podcast- a platform for Black Millennial Mamas. Tyquanda continues to impart her passion for the arts to the youth. She serves as a Dance coach/choreographer for an independent school in New York City and continues to pursue her dream of creativity and expression.

DOREA SLAGLE

DOREA SLAGLE (Abigail Williams) Dorea is a professional actor and director, working in both theater and film. Select acting credits include: The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe (White Witch), Romeo & Juliet (Juliet), Angels Among Us (Madeline), A Pound in Your Pocket; World Premier with Charles Strouse (Ms. Wrasp), How to Succeed in Business (Ms. Jones), Mame (Sally Cato), This Too Shall Pass (Noelle), among others. She would like to thank her husband for his endless support, and the cast/crew of The Crucible for a wonderful, collaborative experience. For more info, visit: doreaslagle.com

GABRIELLE BARLATIER

GABRIELLE BARLATIER (Mercy Lewis) is a Haitian-American actress, Jersey native and Brooklyn resident. In her most recent appearances at The Heights Players, she was honored to play Catherine in A View From the Bridge and Travis in A Raisin in the Sun. While building her craft on stage, Gabrielle can be seen in short films such as PG-13 (New New Voices 2022 Selection), To the Girl that Looks like Me (Student Academy Award 2020 Finalist), Before the Rain (Venice Shorts 2021 Selection); as well as television series such as The Matumbilas on Kweli TV and Gravesend S2 on Amazon Prime. When off screen, Gabrielle enjoys writing and creating her own films. She is also founder of a demo reel service and production company, called The Conscious Co-Creative, where she helps actors build their reels. Gabrielle's excited to be back on stage and honored to work alongside such a powerhouse of a cast and director in this production of The Crucible.

AMANDA NICOLE MENDEZ

AMANDA NICOLE MENDEZ (Betty Parris) Amanda is honored to be back on stage for the first time since 2014. The Crucible is one of her favorite plays and has impacted her life since she was in the seventh grade. Her past Heights Players credits include Harvey (Director), Anything Goes (AD), The Skin of Our Teeth (Stage Manager), The Great Gatsby (Mrs. McKee), and West Side Story (Jet Girl). Amanda would like to thank her family and friends for their support. She is dedicating this performance to her mother Diane.

LISA WHITTEN

LISA WHITTEN (Mrs. Ann Putnam/Sarah Good) Lisa is thrilled to be in her first production with The Heights Players! Lisa, a storyteller originally from North Carolina, teaches English and Improv. She last took the stage in her one woman show Becoming a Noble Gas. She would like to thank James and the cast for their support and encouragement.

LAURA CHARTRAND

LAURA CHARTRAND (Mary Warren) Laura is excited to make her debut at The Heights Players! Laura moved to New York in 2020 and previously acted in her home state of Wisconsin. Some of her past roles include Tamora in Titus Andronicus, Honey in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and Agnes in Dancing at Lughnasa. She would like to thank her amazing cast and crew and her family, boyfriend, and friends for supporting her!

HANNAH SIMPSON

HANNAH SIMPSON (Susanna Walcott) After receiving her BA in Theatre from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Hannah studied Shakespeare at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in NYC, and made Brooklyn her home. Recent past NYC credits include: Emma in Curse of the Starving Class, Tumnus in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and Launcelet in The Merchant of Venice.

MIRIAM BIRD

MIRIAM BIRD (Martha Corey) Miriam is an artist with The Phyllis Rose Dance Company and has performed in many Heights Productions. Love the wonderful cast of The Crucible. Thank you James.

KEVIN RAINEY

KEVIN RAINEY (Drums/Choreography) Kevin has been a dance and theater artist for over 50 years. He has choreographed and danced with such companies as The Phyllis Rose Dance Company, Force Of Nature Dance Theater, Harlem School of the Arts and the HellFire Club, to name a few.

SAMANTHA BURKARD

SAMANTHA BURKARD (u/s Elizabeth Proctor) Samantha is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The role of Elizabeth has held a special place in her heart since she played the role in her 9th grade English class, introducing her to a love of classic plays that she continues today in her work with Shakespeare. Her most recent notable credit was Fan/Charwoman in A Christmas Carol (Titan Theatre Company) and, being a musical theatre performer, has recently been exploring the world of NYC Cabarets. Ms. Burkard is thrilled to be returning to live theatre, and is thankful for the opportunity to join the hardworking crew at The Heights Players!

AURORA DREGER

AURORA DREGER (u/s Mrs. Ann Putnam/Sound Technician) Aurora is usually seen onstage, but is excited to lend a hand backstage for this wonderful production. She was most recently seen here in the Gala, and can sometimes be found wearing silly costumes for Children’s Theater with The Secret Theater in Queens.

ANDREA BERNARDO