Sandy Kenyon reviews Broadway's revival of 'The Crucible'

NEW YORK, New York (WABC) -- An American classic has been re-invented for the 21st century, as a new version of "The Crucible" injects new life into a play so many studied in high school.

"Hamilton" has shown the power of having a diverse cast in a musical, and the new revival of "The Crucible" shows how a classic play can be given new power in the same way.

"I'm just getting at the heart of the story, so that in that heart, the audience can feel the heart," said Sophie Okonedo, who plays Elizabeth Proctor. "And then you go together on this journey. That's what this is about."

The play is set in the 17th century and was written as a commentary on the political witch hunts of the 1950s, but the revival is performed in modern clothes on a stripped-down set.

"I think that allows you to identify more closely with the emotions," said Tavi Genvinson, who plays Mary Warren.

Okonedo and Ben Whishaw play husband and wife accused of witchcraft by their former servant, played by Saoirse Ronan, an Irish actress who was born in the Bronx.

"I felt like I was learning everything again for the first time," said Ronan, a two-time Oscar nominee who is making her Broadway debut. "To do that in a city where I feel very at home and very comfortable and felt like I was being supported by the community, that was really special for me."

Along with other young cast members, such as blogger-turned-actress Gevenson, Ronan is fashioning a fresh, new version of a classic play six decades after it was first performed.