Arthur Miller's The Crucible Selected for Fall One Book, One Chicago

January 1, 1900

The Crucible premiered in New York during the McCarthy era of anti-communism suspicion. The critically acclaimed work was hailed for confronting mass hysteria and political persecution and won the Tony Award for Best Play of 1953.

Partnering with the Chicago Public Library in the fall One Book, One Chicago was the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, which staged a production of The Crucible September 13 through November 11, 2007. A series of free public programs featuring Steppenwolf actors also took place at selected Chicago Public Library locations.

More than 2,00 English and Spanish language editions of The Crucible were available at all 79 Library locations. And as part of the Chicago Book Festival, also funded through the Chicago Public Library Foundation, free events and discussions about the play were held throughout Chicago during the month of October at branch libraries, the Chicago Cultural Center, Barnes and Noble Booksellers, Loyola University, DePaul University and the Gerber/Hart Library.

One Book, One Chicago began in 2001 to encourage all Chicagoans to read the same book at the same time and discuss a great piece of literature with friends and neighbors. Since its inception, thousands of Chicagoans have participated in book discussion groups, lectures, dramatic readings and cultural events. The Crucible is the second play selected for the program; the first was Lorraine Hansberry's 1959 A Raisin in the Sun.