Wilbert's birthday is coming up next week, so I planned a special night out for him. We had a half day of school on Friday, which made it the perfect day for us to go out. I didn't tell Wilbert what we were doing until we were ready to get in the car. The plans included dinner at a nice Italian restaurant and then we went to see the opening night of the play "The Crucible" at the Orpheum Theater. It was so nice to see a play that we had nothing do with. We were able to just enjoy it and get some ideas for things to do in school's future productions. The theater is so old and cool looking and we had excellent seats.
If you are not familiar with the play "The Crucible," it is set in the late 1600's in Salem, Massachusetts when it was a Puritan colony. The whole base for the play is the witch hunts that took place in American History. On the way home, we talked about this play was a clear example of escalation. The Puritans allowed their fears to escalate and turn into something that those of us 300 years later find difficult to understand. We also talk about how this concept is one that can be applied to Arthur Miller, the author, and the times he was living in during the 1950's and 1960's with the Communist hunts of that time.
We also talk about how it can also be applied today. People may not be looking for witches now, but many people let their imaginations, their fears, their worries escalate and turn into something that those on the outside find completely illogical and ridiculous. They predict the apocalypse with the new President. They won't associate or even look at anyone of Middle East descent. They won't give to the building fund of the school because a student said "doggone" in the spring play.
In the end, there are much bigger battles that must be fought.
If you are not familiar with the play "The Crucible," it is set in the late 1600's in Salem, Massachusetts when it was a Puritan colony. The whole base for the play is the witch hunts that took place in American History. On the way home, we talked about this play was a clear example of escalation. The Puritans allowed their fears to escalate and turn into something that those of us 300 years later find difficult to understand. We also talk about how this concept is one that can be applied to Arthur Miller, the author, and the times he was living in during the 1950's and 1960's with the Communist hunts of that time.
We also talk about how it can also be applied today. People may not be looking for witches now, but many people let their imaginations, their fears, their worries escalate and turn into something that those on the outside find completely illogical and ridiculous. They predict the apocalypse with the new President. They won't associate or even look at anyone of Middle East descent. They won't give to the building fund of the school because a student said "doggone" in the spring play.
In the end, there are much bigger battles that must be fought.
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