“I’ve always loved theater productions that carry some kind of moral,” Hanley said. “I think this is a very powerful play. I think the characters represent humanity, what we are, our fears and our emotions, and how easy it is to fall prey to point fingers in any society, in any context,” he said. “This play really shows how dangerous that can be.”

Hanley characterized the cast as “wonderful” and said he appreciated the opportunity to work with Law School students.

“It’s amazing to see how similar they are to us...It really bridges the college and law school experience,” he said.

Eda Pepi ’06, who portrays a bewitched girl and can also be seen in Harvard’s soap opera, Ivory Towers, said Hay is a “great director” and also praised his acting ability.

“He’s a good actor himself, so if someone is missing [from rehearsal], he’ll jump in,” Pepi said.

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE

Hay says he has no formal training in theater, but sees similarities among performing on the stage, in the court and in the classroom.

The title of his new class, “The Conscious of the King,” is drawn from a speech in Hamlet.

A tenured member of the HLS faculty since 1998, Hay is a civil procedure and litigation expert. He joined the faculty as an assistant professor of law in 1992, four years after graduating from HLS. He is believed to be the first professor to produce and direct a play at HLS.

Hay says his job as a professor has prepared him for some of the challenges of directing.

“I like to tell people my only background in theater is in the classroom,” he said. “In some ways, the Socratic classroom is a theater in that there’s a lot of dialogue and a lot of role playing, both by students and by professors.

“The classroom is a sort of stage,” he added.

The Crucible runs from April 20-24. The show is open to the public. Tickets are available starting Thursday at the Harvard Box Office.

—Staff writer Andrew C. Esensten can be reached at esenst@fas.harvard.edu.