ASHLAND -- It's a dramatic ending to the theatre season at Ashland Community and Technical College.

Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" takes the stage at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the college's J.B. Sowards Theatre.

"I try to choose things that are both challenging to the kids and well-known to the audience. In fact, most have movies that have been made," said director and ACTC professor Edward Figgins. "My budget depends on making money whether we do the next show or not, so I want to do things that have a very public eye to them."

"The Crucible" focuses on the Puritan purge of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts. It tells the story of a young farmer, his wife and a young servant-girl who maliciously causes the wife's arrest for witchcraft. Winner of the 1953 Tony Award for Best Play, "The Crucible" was written during the time of McCarthyism, when accused communists were blacklisted. Even Miller found himself at the center of McCarthy's witchhunt.

Figgins said he hopes audiences take from the two-hour show a deeper message than just viewing it as entertainment for entertainment's sake.

"People should see that if you tell a lie about someone, it can lead to monstrous proportions. It can destroy lives," Figgins said.

The show features a cast size of 21 and a mixture of staff, college students, community members and high schoolers.

The school's summer production is another recent movie favorite, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."

Tickets for "The Crucible" are $6 for adults and $4 for seniors, students and groups of 10 or more. Call 606- 326-2014.