I went to the evening show of John Proctor Is the Villain on April 23, and since then, I’ve been reflecting on the masterpiece I witnessed and trying to plan out the next time I’ll be seeing it. Written by Kimberly Belflower and directed by Danya Taymor, John Proctor Is the Villain is a comedy that takes place at a high school in Georgia where the students are reading The Crucible. The play opens with viewers immediately immersed in the classroom of Mr. Smith (Gabriel Ebert) as he’s going through a ten-minute sex-ed lesson with his students. Audience members are also let into the lives of a friend group composed of Ivy Watkins (Maggie Kuntz), Nell Shaw (Morgan Scott), Beth Powell (Fina Strazza) and Raelynn Nix (Amalia Yoo), who wants to start a feminist club at their school (for context, this play takes place during 2018, specifically during the height of the #MeToo movement). The girls bring their proposal to the guidance counselor, Bailey Gallagher (Molly Griggs), who tells the girls that they can start the club…if they open it to boys too, and have Mr. Smith, a male teacher, as the club’s faculty. Beth, who we often see throughout the play stressing about not having enough extracurriculars for college applications, needs this club to get started, and agrees to Ms. Gallagher’s requirements. I mean, the only boy that ends up joining (or really, was thrown into it) is Mason Adams (Nihar Duvvuri) who needs the club for extra credit and ends up sleeping the whole time anyways.
In addition to their club meetings, we also see the girls being your typical high schoolers— making Glee references, singing Taylor Swift songs, and talking about how good-looking they think Mr. Smith is. We also see Raelynn navigate through dealing with her boyfriend, Lee Turner (Hagan Oliveras), cheating on her with her best friend, Shelby Holcomb (Sadie Sink), and how Ivy handles a situation with her family that’s spreading rapidly around their school and their “one-stoplight” town. Most importantly, we watch as the friend group reacts to their friend, Shelby, returning to school after fleeing to Atlanta for a few months, and the truth behind her departure.
I won’t spoil the reason why Shelby left school, but I will say that this big reveal, in addition to the blackout that followed, left me with my jaw on the floor. Following up the blackout, the end scene, accompanied by “Green Light” by Lorde, might just have been the best thing that I’ve seen in theatre recently. This play made me laugh, gasp, cry, and probably feel about 20 other emotions. While the whole cast was incredible, the female ensemble is what really stood out to me. Each situation that the five main female characters face, some more serious than others, was perfectly portrayed by their actresses.
In my opinion, John Proctor Is the Villain is the most important play on Broadway right now, especially given the time we’re currently living in in our country. I went into the show completely blind, not knowing what it was about, and left screaming about it as I walked down 45th Street. This play captures the reality confronted by girls who come forward about sexual harassment and assault, and everything they face in the wake of sharing their story. If you’re a high school girl or woman living in or near New York City right now, I strongly suggest you go to the Booth Theatre to see John Proctor Is the Villain right now. And if you’re a high school BOY or MAN living in or near New York City right now, I strongly URGE you to go to the Booth Theatre to see John Proctor Is the Villain right now. While it’s important for women to see it, especially if they’ve been through what one of the character’s have been through, it’s just as important, if not more, for male audiences to learn from this play and not repeat these events.