Stage Design
I have chosen the below layout because I believe it gives the best possible chance for all of the characters to be seen and heard clearly throughout this act.
Dramatic Techniques
As a director the dramatic techniques of Miller will be incorporated into my play while personal techniques will be added to feed the requirements of a 21st century audience.
Throughout the play Miller's techniques seem very precise in the movements and the way characters express themselves. In Act 1, Miller adds instructions about the amount of light pouring through a narrow window. Therefore showing he considered the smallest of techniques to be important. Not only does he describe the objects in the house but also the mention of the clean air gives a more defined feel. He then follows to describe the positions of the opening characters; Reverend Parris kneels beside the bed, evidently in prayer and his daughter Betty Parris is lying on the bed, inert.
Following these directions, right the way through act 1 Miller tries to sum up the feelings about the devil and the contrast between good and evil as he questions whether diabolism is a holy practice. Miller then tells of how we can now consider the devil as a necessary part of a respectable view of cosmology, therefore really establishing the idea of good and bad religion fully into the play. During act 1, Miller compares the relationship with people and the devil with a professor at his university and the pupils he taught. He then makes the crucial comparison about America around his era. He quotes; “…and in America any man who is not reactionary in his views is open to the charge of alliance with the Red hell. Political opposition, thereby, is given an inhuman overlay…” Therefore backing up his theory of McCarthy’s scapegoats and his own personal experiences, they incorporate into the success of this scene.
Once again Miller describes the basic techniques to introduce act 2, he describes the position of the furniture, the date, and he also describes an action of John Proctor to ensure the audience understand he is at home. He directs Proctor to lean his gun against the fire as he swings a pot from underneath. He smells what’s in the pot, and then tastes it. He then adds a pinch of salt and tastes again. We then hear the footsteps of Elizabeth.
Other techniques and statements are made throughout the act, but none have the similarity in length as those we see in act 1 that set the scene.
We now come to act 3 that is a parallel to act 2; we open the scene with a series of descriptions about the courtroom and fine-tuning elements that create tension. The voices we hear come from behind a partition that creates a barrier from the audience that gives it a degree of secrecy, thus further building up the level of tension.
As Giles is arrested, a series of directions are made about the actions of the crowd in the courtroom. As a director I would add background music, starting with a low, quiet background tune bringing the music to the foreground as controversial statements are made and as the crowd roars. The music would come to an unexpected end as Deputy-Governor Danforth enters the room. As he says, “Who is this man?” The light from the surrounding windows from the left hand side would be concentrated onto his stature and position. As Parris then speaks the light would gradually widen to give a wider perspective of the room.
The following conversations are deciding the fate of Giles Corey’s wife after she was accused of witchcraft. As Giles pleads that they are telling lies about his wife, I would add dramatic music once again, until the reply was given by Danforth; a man with such authority. Giles then again pleads, “Your Excellency, I only said she were reading books, sir, and they come and they take her out of my house for…” as Danforth replies, “Books! What books?” I would have the light focusing on Giles and he would be shaking with fear, as a result he would look as if he was lying.
After all the build up of tension through the earlier disputes, we see the notorious Abigail Williams. As she and others enter the courtroom, I would have the light gaining brighter from one to the next until it stops to focus on Abigail, so the audience would anticipate action and drama from her. Following her entrance she is told to sit and is then asked a question about charge passed against Mary Warren. Because of the questions importance I would once again have the light focusing on Abigail and a slow background melody playing until she finally answers the question, the music will come to an end. The light then focuses on the rest of the court.
We then follow by another series of questions upon Abigail and Mary Warren. As the court starts to pass wild comments from one to another, background music would start again and the light would speed up around the room. Others would stand astounded at the comments and as Mary glances at Abigail and Danforth looks to Parris I would have the audience focusing on those four main characters.
As Mary is asked to faint, I would have her looking very hot and sweaty as a result, passing a feeling of nerves across the audience. As Abigail is questioned about her visions of spirits, she changes the mood of the court as she says to Danforth, “Let you beware, Mr Danforth. Think you might be so mighty that the power of Hell may not turn your wits?” The people of the court would now all consider that Abigail if found guilty, was not a witch, but was a victim of someone else’s evil. For Abigail, this was a very wise statement to make.
She is then, yet only acting, thrown into wild hysterics. Once again the mood and feelings of the court turn her way, leaving Mary looking blacker than evil. I would have the whole audience focusing on Abigail at this point, spot light on her, while she is positioned centre of the stage and a faint breeze is heard from the distance all adding to the effect of witchcraft. As she focuses on Mary Warren, so would the rest of the court. The light would then focus on her. She would be left standing alone looking very guilty, with a tear in her eye.
The light can now focus on Proctor, within this very hectic act. He now says trembling; “I have known her, sir. I have known her.” Because of Abigail’s age, this makes the court horrified. As Proctor, pleads she is a whore, the court seems to change its mood once again and therefore Abigail must conjure something spectacular to swing the mood once again into her favour. Without fail she does just that, yet the court before hand decides the fate of Goody Proctor as she is asked to tell the court wether John Proctor had ever committed adultery with Abigail. She fails to Answer in parallel with John and is dismissed from the court. Abigail then creates a scene within the court that proves her false innocence and proves the false guilt of others.
As Hale starts to doubt Abigail, to stop him Abigail looks fearfully toward the ceiling. I would have the light focusing on her until the other girls stare toward the ceiling. And now the light within a second or two would flash between the girls and Hathorne, Hale, Putnam, Cheever, Herrick and Danforth, as they also look startled at the ceiling. Music would play in co-ordination with the light, a large bang as the lights change.
The continuing music would flow throughout yet speeding as Abigail and the girls begin to mimic the every word of Mary Warren with great meaning and passion, all within a similar tone of voice and in time with each other. The light now fading quickly from Mary to the girls and back and so on until the copying comes to an end. Then I would have the music stop and the light centre on Abigail astonished face.
The girls then all simultaneously run to one wall, shielding their eyes. As they do so, they would be the focal point with the magnified clamper of their feet as the run and the spot light following their every move. Abigail would lead the group.
The act ends with rapid questioning to Mary Warren about what the devil brings to her. The music would continue, yet come to a sudden drop as Proctor replies, “God is dead!” to Danforth’s question about his part within the connection with Lucifer. Proctor is now guilty in the eyes of every other in the court. Proctor and Mary Warren are taken away and the court is dismissed. The curtain falls, the light fades. All that can be heard is the faint noise of chains clattering.
Conclusion
I conclude that through Miller’s techniques, Abigail Williams is brought into the play as a main character and doesn’t fail to please the audience. She shows how, as in the 1950’s, due to the power of the will of one person, with or without sufficient evidence, many people can be punished with the severest penalties for something they had no knowledge about or took no part in; yet they had no alibi due to the beliefs of the prosecutors.
