John Proctor is the Villain

John Proctor is the Villain is one of the all-time greatest plays. It is powerful, it is timely, and it is important. This production on Broadway is an example of a director taking a near perfect play from a skilled playwright and then making it even better. I will now be sure to look for other works by playwright Kimberly Belflower and by director Danya Taymor.

This is a play I unsuccessfully tried to squeeze in during my June and July trips to New York, and I am so happy I was able to see it during this closing weekend. If you are reading this before the play closes on September 7, I suggest you urgently get yourself a ticket to Booth Theatre.

There is much to unpack in this story. This story covers many themes. Because I am writing this late in the run when many reviews already exist, and because you have urgency to go get a ticket for tonight or tomorrow (if you are in New York), I will keep this brief and not attempt to recap all of the important messages in this show. Instead, just trust me, and just go see this play. Urgently. If you cannot see it in New York before the closing, keep a watch out for local productions in the coming years.

My performance included all of the original Broadway cast members except for the character Shelby Holcomb, who is now played by Chiara Aurelia instead of Sadie Sink. While I was disappointed to not see the show earlier in its run with Sadie, Chiara’s performance is outstanding. This show has excellent casting.

Nihar Duvvuri, Gabriel Ebert, Molly Griggs, Maggie Kuntz, Hagan Oliveras, Morgan Scott, Fina Strazza, and Amalia Yoo are the other cast members. They are each equally excellent in their roles.

One of the details I noticed in the set design was the level of detail in the hallway outside of the classroom. I only got to see glimpses of the hallway for a few seconds whenever the classroom door was opened, and there was more detail than I could take in during just those few seconds, but it did add to the experience. Similarly, on the opposite side, there was an outdoor space visible through a window. While perhaps not required, the outdoor space near stage right and the hallway near stage left make the set feel more complete than had it simply been just the classroom. It will be interesting to see if future productions add this impactful level of detail.

I also liked how the lighting design and sound design worked together at the end of each scene and throughout the show. And speaking of sound design, the pre-show music and playlist helped set the vibe and the setting, and I am very much a fan of shows creating the vibe before the show even starts. In other words, when done right, the show absolutely does start as soon as the house opens. Good shows do this well.

Every component of this production is excellent, and I am again just so happy I was able to see it during its closing weekend.

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