Assumption Convent School staged a stunning performance of The Crucible on September 29 at the school as part of fund-raising.
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The play was based on an event of the Salem witchcraft trials.
It takes place in a small Puritan village in the colony of Massachusetts in 1692.
The trial took place from June through to September of 1692, during which time 19 men and women were hanged at Gallows Hill near Salem.
The witchcraft trials began because of the illness of Betty Parris, the daughter of the Salem minister, Reverend Samuel Parris.
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The EXPRESS had a chat with Alexandra Marques who played the character of Abigail Williams who is Reverend Parris’ niece.
The Grade 11 learner gave an excellent performance of Abigail who is in the centre of all the chaos happening in the town.
She is vengeful, selfish, manipulative, and a magnificent liar.
Abigail is the ringleader who encouraged the witchcraft in the first place but goes around accusing everybody else after they were caught in the woods by her uncle.
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The EXPRESS asked Alexandra how challenging it was to tap into Abigail’s character.
“She has many mixed emotions which are both extreme and intense. She is obsessed with the character known as John Proctor, scared for her future, angry and above all she is just a teenager with a huge ambition in a small conceded town. Her emotions are intense, extreme and usually, as a teenager we are hormonal. We either feel too much or nothing at all. I connected with Abigail by putting myself in her shoes and analysing the situation she had been put in. I had to put all judgement towards her aside,” said Alexandra.
“Once I observed things through Abigail’s eyes I started to feel and see things the way she did and I understood her and why she did what she did,” explained Alexandra.
She said the most challenging scene for her was the intimate one where she had a moment with John Proctor who she had an affair with.
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Proctor was a farmer in Salem. Alexandra said even though Abigail is the ringleader that causes all the chaos in town she loved the strengths she possesses.
“I loved how dynamic her feelings were, how herself was such a dynamic person. There is so much confusion towards her but she is not confused. She knows exactly what she wants and how she is going to get it,” explained Alexandra.
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The Grade 11 learner said after being in three plays she sees a potential of pursuing theatre.“This was my third play I have been in with an acting role and I enjoyed being on stage. I find love and comfort in acting and to have to leave that behind in high school would shatter me because when I act, I am able to tap into different feelings and find different perspectives from different characters. Acting opens up your outlook on life,” said Alexandra.
She said with this new found love she is grateful to her drama teacher because she has inspired the love of acting in her.
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