Frightfully timely

The Crucible, Arthur Miller’s classic drama from 1953 about the Salem Witch Trials in colonial Massachusetts, is eternally relevant because the threat of opportunistic, autocratic political leaders fanning mass hysteria for their own dubious gain is ever-present. The sturdy, compact production by Main Street Theatre Works is staged outdoors and at night, illuminating the host of challenging moral decisions involving difficult (and life-threatening) choices relating to the danger that can accrue when you insist on speaking the truth during unstable, paranoid times. The production runs through September 9. 8 p.m. Friday, September 1 and Saturday, September 2; $12-$20. Kennedy Mine Amphitheatre, 1127 N. Main Street in Jackson; (209) 295-4499; www.mstw.org.