McQuay has chosen some ominous, brooding music to accompany the action, fading it in shortly before each scenic blackout. This gives the production a more cinematic effect, accompanied as it is by Travis Hunter's pinpointed lighting design. Technically, this production stands on high ground.
There are few more difficult and demanding roles than that of John Proctor, the Massachusetts farmer whose household is devastated by accusations of witchcraft. In the Costa Mesa production, Gordon Carmadelle embodies this staunch, unbending figure with force and fortitude, battling the onrushing tide with grit and gusto in a memorable performance.
As his stolid, humorless wife, who bristles at her husband's infidelity with a local trollop, Tiffany McQuay renders most of her character in a soft-spoken monotone, finally cracking the emotional barrier in the play's final moments.
The deputy governor, charged with rooting out the "witches" of the town, is performed with articulate authority by Bruce Schechter. Likewise, Ed McBride delivers a staunch depiction of the Rev. Hale, a dedicated witch hunter whose own convictions undergo a major alteration.
The show's weakest point, however, is the performance of Gregory Doyle as the town pastor, Rev. Parris. His halting, tentative delivery compromises the force of the play and produces several awkward moments in addition to the loss of his own character traits.
Tara Golson electrifies the production as Abigail, Proctor's sultry onetime illicit lover who levels a witchcraft charge against his wife. Valerie Lohman also is highly impressive as Mary Warren, her replacement in the Proctor household, who battles both inner and outer demons.
