The Crucible

This Crucible is not your English teacher’s retelling. The Crucible is a play by Arthur Miller that tells the fictionalized story of the 1692 Salem witch trials. The play is set in the Puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts, and explores themes of hysteria, conformity, and the dangers of mass manipulation. For AWT’s winter play, we will lean into the horror of the Salem Witch Trials, exploring what happens when communities turn on each other and allow madness to take hold. Get ready to dive into suspense, shock, and blood grief as we dive deep into the woods of Salem and dance with the witches in the pale moonlight.

Our production of The Crucible will have approximately 30 participants. In order to maintain the most flexibility with casting, we are requesting participants be available for all tech/performance dates, and hold those dates until after casting and the final schedule is determined. Some participants might perform in both casts and/or have the opportunity to play more than one role.

Join the waitlist below!

Basic tuition to participate in an AWT Mainstage Play is $570.

If the $570 tuition is not within your budget, please consider one of our Pay What You Can options ($520 and $470 for this program). Additionally, if you would like to spread your payments out, you can choose from a variety of payment options. Our ability to offer this program with affordable options is contingent on those with the ability to pay full tuition choosing that option. If we do not have enough full priced tuition participants, this may result in cancelling the program.

Discount types can not be combined. Tuition does NOT cover a print out of your script/score/sheet music or your costume. AWT has a small budget to cover some specific costume needs. From there, we work with participants to piece together costumes sourced from their closets, thrift stores and the good will of the community.  All tuition payments are final and non-refundable for any reason.

Below is the rehearsal and performance schedule for The Crucible. Click on the dot or details below each date for more information! There are two potential performance schedules at this time. Scroll down below the rehearsal calendar to see both options.

Rehearsals will be held on some Wednesday nights, as well as Saturdays and Sundays throughout the end of January, February, and  March. There will be approximately 30 participants. Participants might alternate between two different roles for each cast. Resources will be made available so you can catch up on anything you miss! During the second week of rehearsals, you will receive a detailed schedule that specifies exactly what dates and times you will be needed.

Tech, Dress rehearsals, and Performances will take place March 17 – March 23 at the 14th St Y. Details for the full schedule are below.

ATTENDANCE POLICY:

Prior to Launch Day, participants will have the opportunity to list rehearsal conflicts. We have a flexible attendance policy, but we do feel that if participants have to miss significantly more than 4 rehearsals it may be harder to catch up and may impact participant experience. Please keep this guideline in mind when deciding to register for this program! If participants do miss significantly more than 4 rehearsals, it will be up to the creative team to decide if that impacts their role assignment or which numbers they can safely perform on stage.

If you do have absences, resources will be made available so you can catch up on anything you miss outside of rehearsal time. Once rehearsals begin, it is up to the discretion of the creative team whether or not a participant’s role must be reassigned due to missed rehearsals.

NOTE: the schedule below is subject to change.

January 2025

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
  • Mainstage Play | Launch Day
26
27
28
29
  • Mainstage Play Rehearsal | Both Casts
30
31

ATTENDANCE POLICY: Prior to Launch Day, participants will have the opportunity to list rehearsal conflicts. We have a flexible attendance policy, but we do feel that if participants have to miss significantly more than 4 rehearsals it may be harder to catch up and may impact participant experience. Please keep this guideline in mind when deciding to register for this program! If participants do miss significantly more than 4 rehearsals, it will be up to the creative team to decide if that impacts their role assignment or which numbers they can safely perform on stage.

If you do have absences, resources will be made available so you can catch up on anything you miss outside of rehearsal time. Once rehearsals begin, it is up to the discretion of the creative team whether or not a participant’s role must be reassigned due to missed rehearsals.

We would like to minimize participant absences during tech and show week. When filling out the interest list, you will be asked to confirm if you are available for the whole tech/show time for at least one cast for any shows you are interested in. If interest in a program is greater than the number of spots available, participants who are able to attend tech/dress/shows entirely for one cast may be prioritized during the registration process than those with absences.

For more information, please check out our blog post “How Many Absences are Too Many?”

COVID safety protocols: Masks are always welcome! Depending on the number of people in the room and/or the size of the room, there may be some rehearsals where masks are required.

Performance policy: Dress rehearsals and performances will all be mask optional. We will no longer be requiring proof of a negative test to perform unmasked, but it is imperative that any performers who are feeling any symptoms stay home.

Audience members may still be asked to be masked during the performance.

If a venue we are using for rehearsals or performances has a stricter policy, we will defer to them. Our policy on safety protocols may shift over time as the situation changes. 

Rehearsals

The below locations are our most frequently used rehearsal locations, though locations are subject to change and may vary throughout the program. Specific locations will be communicated to you at a later date.

Sirovich Auditorium
331 E 12th St

Speyer Hall at University Settlement
184 Eldridge St

Molloy Studios
50 Broadway

Performances

The Theater at the 14th St Y
344 E 14th St
New York, NY 10003

If the $570 tuition is not within your budget, please consider one of our Pay What You Can options ($520 and $470 for this program). We are also offering financial assistance for even lower tuition rates (apply here until the deadline on the form).

Our Casting Policy

The way we approach casting at AWT is very different from what is common in traditional theater. We take any notion of specific “types” and basically throw them out the window, so that any individual, regardless of how they identify or are perceived in the world, can see themselves playing any part. Additionally, it’s important to us that we not cast any one person in lead or principal roles too frequently or consecutively, or favor returning participants over people we don’t know as well.

On launch day, it’s more important that you have fun, make friends, and show your personality to the creative team, than it is to show how high you can belt. Regardless of how you are cast this will be an extremely enriching and rewarding experience. If you have your heart set on a specific part or are seeking stardom, we encourage you to consider different goals for this program. Otherwise, this might not be the theatre company for you – and that’s ok!

For even more details on our casting policy, check out our “Casting Demystified” blog post!

Inclusivity

While AWT is a welcoming and inclusive community that creates a safe space for all participants to be seen, heard and set up for success, we want to acknowledge our limitations when it comes to accommodating those with higher needs. Our staff members are endlessly kind, patient and forever focused on safety, but they are not specifically trained in social services or special education. Additionally, we believe that when participants are presented with the opportunity to support their fellow cast members, it truly enriches their experience and helps them become more empathetic people outside of the theatre. But they are also here with their own goals and their own needs. This shared experience is best optimized when all participants have a certain level of self-sufficiency.

If you are someone who may need some additional support throughout the season, or if you are registering on behalf of someone who may need additional support, please reach out to us at info [at] afterworktheater.org after registering, so that we can speak with you about how to best provide that support! We’ll schedule a video call with you and/or the person participating, so that we can learn more about any accommodations needed, and we can describe what to expect from participating in the program. We can then make an assessment to determine if this is a good fit. If it’s decided this is not a match made in heaven, we will process a withdrawal with a full refund. This video call is a requirement for any participant who feels they need extra support throughout the season.

Registration

The Crucible is currently sold out. If you would like to receive an email if spots become available between now and Launch Day, please join the waitlist below!

(Some spots will be held for financial assistance applicants until the financial assistance application deadline passes.)

If you are someone who may need some additional support throughout the season, or if you are registering on behalf of someone who may need additional support, please reach out to us at info [at] afterworktheater.org after registering, so that we can speak with you about how to best provide that support! We’ll schedule a video call with you and/or the person participating, so that we can learn more about any accommodations needed, and we can describe what to expect from participating in the program. We can then make an assessment to determine if this is a good fit. If it’s decided this is not a match made in heaven, we will process a withdrawal with a full refund. This video call is a requirement for any participant who feels they need extra support throughout the season.

Registration is not transferrable unless you are registering on behalf of another individual and you let us know that information within two days of registering into a program (please email us at info [at] afterworktheater.org).

AfterWork Theater Cancellation Policy for Musicals, Plays, Sing Outs, Bootcamps and Concerts

Any participant who withdraws from an AfterWork Theater Musical, Play, Sing Out, Dance Out, Bootcamp, or Concert (collectively called a Performance Program) more than two weeks prior to when Launch Day begins will receive: 1) returning participants –  a credit (minus a $20 processing fee) of the tuition paid so far that can be used toward a future Performance Program, AWT You Class, or tickets sold on our website within one calendar year from Launch Day of the initial program purchased 2) new participants – a full refund of the tuition paid so far. If any participant has signed up with a subscription plan, they will not be responsible for any remaining tuition payments after their withdrawal is processed. 

If a returning participant withdraws from a Performance Program less than two weeks before Launch Day, they are not entitled to a refund or a credit, and are responsible for the full tuition amount regardless of how many monthly payments they have incurred at the time of withdrawal. 

Newbies – One Time Newbie Cancellation Policy Extension

May only be exercised once. Any newbie who withdraws from an AfterWork Theater Performance Program at any time until the end of their first Launch Day experience will receive a full refund of any tuition payments they have already made, and will not be responsible for any remaining tuition after their withdrawal is processed. Newbies who withdraw after Launch Day is complete – including later that evening or the following day – are not eligible for a refund or credit of any kind, are responsible for the full tuition amount regardless of how many monthly payments they have incurred at the time of withdrawal.

Newbies: A “Newbie” is defined as someone who has never participated in an AWT Performance Program at the time that Launch Day begins, and who has never participated in a previous Launch Day or used our “Newbie Cancellation Extension” policy previously. If a participant is new to AfterWork Theater but has already used our “Newbie Cancellation Extension” policy previously and they withdraw less than two weeks before Launch Day, they are not entitled to a refund or a credit, and are responsible for the full tuition amount regardless of how many monthly payments they have incurred at the time of withdrawal. 

Returning Participant: A “Returning Participant” is defined as someone who has previously participated in an AWT Performance Program or has previously participated in a Launch Day for an AWT Performance Program.

How to Withdraw? Any participant seeking to withdraw from a program must do so via an email to info@afterworktheater.org prior to the deadline stated above. If you have questions about when this deadline is for the program you have signed up for, please email us more than two weeks prior to Launch Day for clarification! 

If a program is canceled due to extenuating circumstances outside the control of AfterWork Theater, there will be no refunds or credits issued, and the value of your unused tuition will be considered a donation to AWT for which you will receive a receipt for tax purposes.