Playbill: The Crucible: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

Arthur Miller's play The Crucible premiered at New York City's Martin Beck Theater in 1953. Broadway audiences easily understood the story, set during the period of the Salem Witch Trials, as a critique of the anti-communist fervor engulfing the nation. Miller drew on his experiences being questioned by the U.S. House of Un-American Activities Committee, led by Senator Eugene McCarthy, when writing the tragedy.

Starring Arthur Kennedy, Madeline Sherwood, Walter Hapden, Beatrice Straight, and E.G., Marshall,The Crucible won the 1953 Tony for best new play. It has now considered one of the most important works of American theater, with its text being read as part of many American High Schools' curriculum.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1953
• author: Miller, Arthur
• Object Name: playbill
• Physical Description: paper (overall material)
• Physical Description: ink (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: 9 in x 6 5/8 in; 22.86 cm x 16.8275 cm
• place made: United States: New York, New York
• Subject: Theater
• ID Number: 2016.0149.01
• accession number: 2016.0149
• catalog number: 2016.0149.01
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.