Saoirse Ronan Nearly Loses Her Voice in Broadway Debut of 'The Crucible'

Academy Award-nominated actress Saoirse Ronan is reportedly battling a sore throat, nearly losing her voice during her Broadway debut as Abigail Williams in the revival of Arthur Miller's The Crucible.

Yesterday, Ronan appeared in a television interview promoting the play. As reported by TV3's Xposé, she mentioned the physicality of stage acting versus film dramatics as contributing to her apparent laryngitis:

"My voice is gone," the 22-year-old told U.S. breakfast show Good Morning America, before comparing it to one particularly gravelly-voiced musician. "I sound like Tom Waits right now! I basically sound like Tom Waits all the time onstage!" the Oscar nominee laughed.

The actress further contrasted the difference between the silver screen and the stage. According to ABC News, she compared extravagant theatrical work to the spartan properties of moviemaking:

"Everything is so minimal, or it should be, I think, with film, if you've got a camera right there," Ronan said. "With theater, it does need to be more physical and because of that, then the stamina that you need to keep that up, every single day, six days a week is much greater."

Ronan, born in New York City, initially came to moviegoers' attention in the 2007 romantic comedy I Could Never Be Your Woman. Additional film portrayals led to her dual Oscar-nominated takes in Atonement and last year's John Crowley-directed Brooklyn.

Premiering in March of this year, The Crucible is the actress' first time on Broadway. Ronan had her work cut out for her in playing Abigail Williams, a real-life instigator of the infamous 17th century Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts.

Arthur Miller's The Crucible debuted in 1953. It is a partially fictionalized account of those fanatical trials. Winning that year's Tony Award for Best Play, it is now among the most highly respected works of theater in the American canon.

Below, watch a portion of a red carpet interview with Ronan from this year's Oscars.

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