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Superstition and bigotry fuel the terror of the Salem witch hunts that are taking place at FC.

Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" opens on . Oct. 16 in the Campus Theater and is directed by Dan Lemieux who is adding his own twist to the classic story.

A story of revenge and jealousy, "The Crucible" is set in atown plagued by suspicion and fear.

"Miller's play is powerful and timeless," Lemieux. "It was written in 1953 about something that happened centuries ago. But, the contemporary parallels are amazing."

"We still fear those who are different, we still point fingers in accusation. You just have to look at today's headlines to see how relevant this play still is," Lemieux said.

To highlight the similarities, Lemieux begins his production in Tunes Square on New Year's Eve 1999, hours before the start of the new millennium. The play then jumps back in time to Salem.

To keep the production timeless, Lemieux is using multimedia projections of various accusations, arrests, and trial that have been held throughout the centuries.

Miller's play had considerable impact at a time when political witch hunts, known as the McCarthy hearings of the 1950's, were taking place.

The play was both popular and the subject of great controversy because of its theme. It went on to win the Tony Award for Best Play of that season.

"It is examining questions I was absorbed with before," said Miller in an article in the New York Tunes. "The conflict . between a man's raw deeds and his conception of himself, the question of whether conscience is in fact an organic part of the human being and what happens when it is handed over not merely to the state or the mores of the time, but to one's friend or wife."