Today, a little critique of The Krannert Center for the Performing arts and their ability to consistently underwhelm me with their poster design. Now, I’m no stranger to their inability to design advertisements for a show, but this poster is particularly offensive to my aesthetic sensibilities. First of all, this is The Crucible. The fucking Crucible. Chances are, whoever designed this knows, vaguely, what The Crucible is about. I’ve read it in both middle and high school, one of those recurring classics standing alongside Hamlet and The Lord of the Flies. Equipped with this cursory knowledge, it should be possible for any competent individual to design a poster that doesn’t look like it is advertising a show about vampires. Really, the title spattered in blood? Not only is that a tired cliché that has not, in this case, been improved upon, but what element of the show calls for it? The murderous intent of Abigail? The primary reaction to her slyness is usually one of incredulity on the part of the rest of the town, not fear at her meeting a bloody end. This reaction can be found nestled in the echoes of McCarthyism that fill the entire piece. The terror lies in the secrets, twisted truths, and willingness to condemn one’s neighbors, not the act of murder itself. To Krannert’s credit, the concept of having the moon, if done well, would have been one hell of an accurate shot in the dark. The lighting designer for the piece is emphasizing the darkness of ignorance through the literal fall of night throughout the course of the play. But the attempt misfires, and ends up looking not like a night that represents ignorance, but rather one that represents werewolves.

So I’m left to wonder: why don’t the poster designers attend the design presentation, or, if that happens too late in the design process, the preliminary meetings? Why are they not sent draftings, sketches, elevations, or a color palette? These posters represent the work of a very diverse and large group of individuals, and in this case it does them a great disservice. With this poster, those intellectually capable will be driven away from our work, while those who aren’t will come expecting a play that is most certainly not The Crucible.

Now, if the performance is awful, I’ll feel betrayed, so the cast better pull this off. I have cause for hope, though. From what I’ve heard our Proctor, a new acting MFA, is a rockstar, and it is directed by the venerable Bob Anderson. Expect a full review once it opens, dear reader(s?).