REVIEW: Becky Nurse of Salem is a Triumphant Modern Crucible
Through 10/19 @ Capital Repertory Theatre, Albany
Photos by Kevin Montano
“It’s fantastic to have Becky Nurse playing in October to contrast and compare with all The Crucibles out there.”
Becky Nurse of Salem at Capital Repertory Theatre through 10/19 is Pulitzer Finalist Sara Ruhl’s exploration of history, literature and feminism surrounding the Salem witch trials. She takes on themes of women’s autonomy and independence, authenticity and owning your history and how we can move forward with intention, clarity and love for each other.
Becky (Brenny Campbell) is giving a foul-mouthed, funny lecture to a school group at the Salem Museum of Witchcraft when the play opens. Her “f” bombs will quickly get her fired by her scholarly boss, Shelby (Briana Gibson Reeves), who insists she stick to the script.
Losing out on the overnight shift at Marriott’s to 17-year-old Stan (compelling Jose Gamo) she takes his advice and visits the witch who helped him get the job. Kathy McCafferty turns on the Hocus Pocus vibes and scores big laughs as the witch for hire.
Becky’s daughter Gail (Alexandra Szeto-Joe is an enchanting handful) is just getting out of rehab and it turns out she's contemplating hooking up with Stan, the desk clerk at Marriott’s. Meanwhile, Becky is seeking comfort and advice from her high school boyfriend Bob—James Joseph O’Neill giving a terrific soulful performance.
There is a brief clip of our president claiming something was a witch hunt. On a recent walk in my Pine Hills neighborhood, I saw a bumper sticker that said, “They didn’t burn witches, they burned women.” The play takes on the kitsch of Salem and grounds it in lived experience. Rebecca Nurse, the ancestor, was hard of hearing and may have been put to death because she simply didn’t hear the judge.
There’s more than enough for a full length play in the first act, energetically directed by Margaret Hall but Ruhl pushes us on and guides us through Becky’s withdrawal from opioids as she spends time in jail for breaking and entering at the Witch Museum. The addiction is another curse that society has inflicted on this woman and the playwright asks us to see her with compassion rather than judgement. “The Sacklers belong in jail!” brought a round of applause.
The play has been workshopped and produced since 2019 after Ruhl was disturbed by a performance of The Crucible and in a conversation with Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (Purpose, Appropriate) realized that Arthur Miller was writing about his guilty feelings for his attraction to Marilyn Monroe. Ruhl has taken on many literary topics from Eurydice (playing at Hubbard Hall 10/3-10/12) to Orlando to Dear Elizabeth. Here, she takes on Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and gives the playwright a drubbing for making John Proctor the moral conscience of the play when he was sleeping with his servant, Abigail Williams, whom he calls a whore in court. It is also pointed out that Abigail, who is 17 in the play, was actually 11 in real life. It’s fantastic to have Becky Nurse playing in October to contrast and compare with all The Crucibles out there.
Brenny Campbell nails every laugh suggested (and has since her debut at theREP in Boston Marriage in 2009); she carries the play easily and is very moving in her helplessness to affect Gail’s choices but as the 62 year old pill-addicted, problem drinking grandmother who was just fired from her minimum wage job and spent a few nights in jail…I had a very hard time believing her. She looks great! Even in jail!
The set by Daniel Conway also looks great. All angles with blonde wood slats that have doors that swing open and set pieces roll on. The stage crew gets a workout, especially in the first act which has 17 fast moving scenes. I also loved Elivia Bovenzi Blitz’s costume design. She has a fantastic eye, feel for character and striking clothing choices. Whether it's The Witches’ caftans or Stan’s goth chic, she creates drama with her wardrobes.
Becky Nurse of Salem is the first play at theREP with Miriam Weisfeld as Producing Artistic Director. Everyone interested in Capital Region theater needs to see this challenging, urgent, thoroughly entertaining, provocative show by one of America’s preeminent dramatists. Welcome to the Weisfeld Era!
Becky Nurse of Salem plays through 10/19 at Capital Repertory Theatre. Tickets: www.attherep.org
