Rehearsals for the upcoming play “The Crucible” have cast members memorizing lines, learning positions, and brainstorming props.

“We have rehearsal after school every day for about two hours,” Chase Simons, junior, said.

‘The Crucible,”  written in the mid 1950s by author Arthur Miller, was meant to use the late 1600s Salem, Ma., witch trials as a way to bring awareness to the, at the time, modern Red Scare of Communism.

The thespians are sticking to the roots of the novel as they plan out their script and roles.

“We spent about six days studying the script as a group,” David Hastings, theater teacher, said. “Lights and props are always being changed and new ideas are constantly made.”

Although “The Crucible” normally takes place in 1690s Salem, the cast decided to shake it up a little bit by incorporating 1950s elements into the play.

“I wanted to avoid the late 1600s play, and have it be more like the 1950s; this makes the play seem more timeless,” Hastings said.

Hastings wishes to make the play seem more modern and relatable, by adding in elements from the mid 1900s and making the dialogue less like the older English of the late 1600s.

“I wanted something traditional,” Hastings said. “The whole concept of the show is black and white, yin and yang. Sometimes what we think is good can be bad and what we think is bad can be good.”

‘The Crucible” is being performed from March 2-4.