History Alive! / Cry Innocent PDF Print E-mail

HISTORY ALIVE!

History Alive! is the professional acting branch of the Gordon College Department of Theatre. Cry Innocent, the troupe's signature production, performed at the Old Town Hall, is described in full below.

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CRY INNOCENT

The year is 1692. Bridget Bishop has been accused of witchcraft and the audience sits on the Puritan jury. They hear the historical testimonies, cross-examine the witnesses and decide the verdict. The actors respond in character to all comments and questions, revealing much about the Puritan mind. Play your part in history...

History Alive / Cry Innocent

Praise for Cry Innocent
A must see for everyone, Cry Innocent is the longest continuously-running show north of Boston. Featured on the Discovery Channel, the Travel Channel, A&E, Nickelodeon, TLC, NPR, BBC, CNN and MTV. Cry Innocent: The People versus Bridget Bishop was commissioned by Norman Jones, professor of theatre and was written by Mark Stevick, professor of English.

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Facts about the Old Town Hall, Salem Mass. PDF Print E-mail

Salem Old Town Hall Front

Old Town Hall is the earliest surviving municipal structure in Salem, Massachusetts (dating from 1816-17) and an outstanding Federal Style building. The second floor of the building, Great Hall, has always been used as a public hall, and contained Town offices until 1837. The first floor, originally designed as a public market, is now being used as a public art space, in conjunction with Artists Row in the Marketplace.

The building and its Derby Square site maintain historical associations with Salem’s prominent 18th and 19th century Derby family for whom Derby Square, Derby Wharf, Derby Street and the two Derby houses on the Salem waterfront were named. The building contains elements attributed to both Charles Bulfinch, the most influential Boston architect of the Federal period, and Samuel McIntire, Salem’s renowned architect and woodcarver. The structure was saved from demolition by Salem preservation architect Philip Horton Smith in the 1930s, and underwent a partial restoration in the 1970s.