This story was produced by the OC Theatre Guild as part of a community media partnership with Culture OC. It was written and edited independently by the Guild’s selected contributors. This collaboration supports our effort to celebrate and amplify the vibrant arts and culture scene in Orange County.

‘The Crucible’ at Larking House & Curtis Theatre

By OC Theatre Guild

September 2, 2026

Written for OC Theatre Guild by MaryAnn DiPietro

Larking House & Curtis Theatre

‘The Crucible’

When: September 4-13, 2026

Where: Curtis Theatre, 1 Civic Center Cir, Brea

More Info: (714) 990-7722, CurtisTheatre.com, TheLarkingHouse.com

There are no witches in “The Crucible,” at least not the kind with pointy hats, broomsticks and bubbling cauldrons. More than 300 years after the Salem witch trials and more than 70 years after Arthur Miller turned them into one of the best-known 20th-century dramas, “The Crucible” at The Larking House and Curtis Theatre still hits a little too close to home.

“It’s an account of one of the darkest times in American history,” said director Lizzy McCabe, founding artistic director of The Larking House. “Everyone knows the plot. It’s a retelling of what happened during that time.”

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Now in the second year of a partnership between The Larking House and Curtis Theatre, the two organizations collaborate on one production each season. “The Crucible” arrives just in time for spooky season.

“When Lizzy told me they wanted to do ‘The Crucible’ this fall, I was ecstatic,” said Curtis Theatre Manager and Artistic Director Kris Kataoka. “Not only does it fit the vibe as we delve into spooky season, but the subject matter remains incredibly relevant more than 70 years after the original play was produced.”

Rather than turning to previous productions for inspiration, McCabe has been watching horror films including “Hereditary,” “The Witch” and “It Comes at Night.”

“I’m taking as much of a cinematic approach as I can to this piece,” she said. “I’ve been looking at a lot of horror films that live in the same thematic realm and looking at elements of those films and implementing them into the execution of this production.”

In other words, this may not be your high school English class’s “Crucible.”

In McCabe’s production, she did not want to tie it to one specific historical period. She describes it as a blending of eras.

“I don’t want it to feel hyper-Puritan,” she said. “I want it to feel uncomfortably modern in some ways.”

Written during the Red Scare and the rise of McCarthyism, Miller used the Salem witch trials to explore what can happen when fear becomes more powerful than truth.

“More than any single line, what sticks with me most is that the themes of this show continue to repeat throughout history, be it 1692, 1953 or 2026,” Kataoka said.

McCabe, however, isn’t interested in telling audiences exactly what parallels they should see.

“I want people to come in and be able to form their own opinions on what is occurring,” she said. “Seeing what audiences take away from it is a unique factor. Where do they land?”

The production’s technical elements will help build the unique world. Scenic designers Matthew Muranaga and Matthew Hayashi, affectionately dubbed “the Matthews squared” by McCabe, have created the most complex set The Larking House has tackled.

“Although it is a minimal design, it’s definitely the most complex thing we have put together at The Larking House,” she said. “They have come up with something incredibly cool.”

Add an original score by Alex Aguilar and the atmosphere begins to sound like a psychological thriller unfolding live onstage.

“From what I’ve seen from the designers and what the cast is bringing to this show, audiences are in for a wild ride, Kataoka said.

McCabe is equally enthusiastic about the performers.

“The cast is awesome,” she said. “Everyone is bringing a unique understanding of their characters to the piece. There’s a lot of bravery onstage that I appreciate from everyone.”

Audiences can dig deeper into the real history through a dramaturgical display in the lobby, a reminder that the scariest part of this particular horror story may be that it actually happened.

“I would like everyone to reflect on how history repeats itself if you let it,” McCabe said.

The production also coincides with The Larking House’s Artist Stipend Fund fundraiser, with a goal of raising $15,000 by closing night to help compensate the company’s artists.

For Kataoka, the partnership itself is something to celebrate.

“I’m always blown away by the choices and the professionalism of The Larking House as a whole,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing how audiences respond to such a poignant and classic piece of theater.”

With or without pointy hats and broomsticks, “The Crucible” still can haunt an audience.