Playwright Miller Hears Crucible Echo

[kskiska]

Playwright Arthur Miller has said he believes his play The Crucible is as relevant today as it was on its release 50 years ago.

Though The Crucible told the story of the Salem witch trials of 1692, the subtext was a comment on the McCarthy anti-Communism trials of the 1950s.

Miller told BBC World Service's Masterpiece programme he felt there were echoes of the House Committee on Un-American Activities' investigations - founded on fear of the USSR - in many of the policies of the current Bush administration.

"This threat from abroad is a very useful way of holding onto power," Miller said. "We've got it now with Bush and Iraqis."

(snip)

Miller himself commented that he was reminded of how the play was received in 1953.

"They would say to me, 'this is all fraudulent - there never were any witches, but there are Communists'," he said.

"I could only say that in 1692, if you had stood on the main street of Salem, Massachusetts, and said 'there are no witches', I wouldn't want to be your insurance man."

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3182451.stm