"A person is either with this court or he must be counted against it; there be no road between." This statement sounds eerily like a presidential decree on the war on terrorism, but it is actually a line from Arthur Miller’s "The Crucible," which opens tonight at 7:30 p.m. Director Fred Rubeck said that he chose to do this play, which was written as a reaction to the McCarthy hearings of the 1950s, because of the resonance it has with today’s post-Sept. 11 audiences.

The play deals with the Salem witch hunts of the 17 century and how the characters were involved in the hysteria of the time. Rubeck said that there were definitely ethnic groups and nationalities that were suspected of evil in that time and today. "We have all had to face that demon," Rubeck said. "There are definite parallels of mass accusation and hysteria."

Rubeck said that in the 15 years he has been at Elon, the theater department has never done a Miller play, and it was decided that now was "a good time to tackle the piece." This show will feature a different kind of performer than what Elon audiences are used to seeing on the stage. "There are people in leading roles that have never been before, and there are people who are in supporting roles that have had leads in other shows, and it is great to see the actors rise to the challenge," Rubeck said.

John Proctor will be played by Nick Burr, Katie Hilliard will play Abigail Williams, Brian Murray will be Reverend Hale, Kendra Goehring will be Elizabeth Proctor and John Kernodle will play Reverend Parris.

"[‘The Crucible’] is not just a dry, dusty thing that everyone had to read in high school," Rubeck said. This performance will "make it come alive and allow the audience to understand why it was so exciting." Rubeck decided to take an unique approach to the interpretation of the piece by using expressionistic elements to "tap into the emotional content to make it visible and audible." For example, the set will not be made up of traditional box pieces, but suggested through character reactions, distinct music and dramatic lighting.