In 2016, Ronan moved to New York City to begin rehearsals for her debut appearance on Broadway, in a revival of Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible". She took the role of Abigail Williams, a manipulative maid responsible for the death of 150 people accused of witchcraft. Based on the Salem witch trials, the play was directed by Ivo van Hove and ran for 125 performances. In preparation, she read Stacy Schiff's book "The Witches: Salem, 1692", and collaborated closely with van Hove to empathise with her villainous character. Instead of relying on previous portrayals of Williams, Ronan played her as "more victim than victimizer". Writing for "The Hollywood Reporter", David Rooney considered Ronan to be "icy and commanding" and Linda Winer of "Newsday" commented that she had played the part "with the duplicity of a malevolent surfer-girl".