www.broadwayworld.com: "We are so appreciative that the producers of have partnered with our NYC Public Schools Arts Office to engage the 750 high school students by bringing new life and innovation to Arthur Miller's The Crucible on Broadway," shared NYC Public Schools Director of Theater Peter Avery.
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This is one of the first shows I had ever heard of that is just about a highschool. As someone who had to read the crucible in my highschool english class this felt like such a real life show. I was on run crew for this show at CMU, so maybe at some point I will have to go down to broadway so I can actually watch the whole show, and not just the 3/8th of the stage I could see off the reflection of the set in the scenes where I was not holding a shirt getting ready for a quick change. I think this show brings up really intresting points about hero’s and how the person telling the story is the one who ends up being the protagoanist weather or not they are in acutallity in the right. I appreciate how this play leaves the auidence in an ambiguous place at the end, and you never trully know who was telling the truth, its just a fun grey area that I think more stories should end with.
Part of what I loved so much about John Proctor is the Villain when I saw it at CMU is how it felt like a play written ABOUT teens FOR teens. A lot of the time, teens in plays come across as two dimensional—they’re either edgy, preppy, or popular, and they serve to reinforce older generations’ perceptions of them rather than to further the plot in a meaningful and honest way. However, watching John Proctor, I was shocked by just how natural and honest the dialogue was. Bellflower has an amazing way of voicing serious issues through casual, conversational dialogue that I’ve never seen matched. I’m so excited that over 750 teens will be able to see the Broadway production for free this week! Not only do I think they’ll be able to connect to it as a play, but it’s a great introduction to theatre for people who otherwise might not usually seek it out.
If there is any production that is just perfect for high school students— it is John Proctor Is The Villain. I saw this show this fall at CMU, and was absolutely amazed by the script and sentiment of it. It is the perfect story for high schoolers, commenting on very important social issues while also being appealing and not at all cheesy. Regardless of the amazing social impact and message of this play, I think that this is a great show to get high schoolers involved in theater. Firstly, almost any teenager is going to be excited to see a production with Sadie Sink in it. Secondly, it is a play that is made for this current high school generation. When many high schoolers hear “play”, they think of some old timey people running around in tights with exaggerated British accents. I think that this play can change that view, and get more young people into the theatre. Especially with plays, as it seems, the younger generations seem to highly favour musicals because of their entertainment value. I also think that it is a very eye-opening show and plot, and will affect some students and make them think in a way they’ve never thought before, while also making others feel validated in their inner opinions and reactions they may have had while reading works in literature class such as The Crucible. I also love this show, but my biggest concern of it going to Broadway was that it will not appear to the older generations. I think it is great and very necessary for them to hold a student matinee, and I wonder how many they can do.
This is the first time I’ve seen a show that I actually have some knowledge about get picked up by a Broadway theatre and it's so exciting to see. I really wish I was able to see John Proctor is the Villain while it was running at Carnegie Mellon University but I’m still so proud of everyone that was involved with it. It's also really interesting that the show is all about high schoolers in a more realistic manner, especially how close I am to having been that demographic, its not often high schoolers are portrayed in an actual realistic manner. There are shows like The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee that yes, are about high schools but I wouldn’t consider it that realistic as I don’t know anyone that was so passionate about spelling bees it consumed their life like it did the kids in that musical. Its really difficult to portray high schoolers realistically without relying on stereotypes and from what I’ve heard John Proctor is the Villain did that quite well.
It is fantastic to see this show getting this much attention from so many. The show as a whole tells a compelling story of just how easy it is to assign villains and heroes because that's what we are taught as children with fairy tales but unfortunately life is never quite as black and white. This show examining Arthur Miller’s The Crucible in parallel to the unfolding of the story is an interesting way of developing the story and providing insight and depth without a lot of background. Anyone who has ever read The Crucible will recognize that there is no hero in that story and there is a villain, but the villain is not unjustified, so are they really the villain. Every character is arguably a villain having made poor choices that have contributed to the whole, most for selfish reasons to protect their reputation with no care for the consequences of their actions. I will be interested to see if this show continues to gain traction in the theatre community.
Reading about John Proctor Is the Villain genuinely made me excited to see where theater is headed. I like that there is a staged production of this play for high school students and that it draws upon many of our experiences with the play, The Crucible. I think it's super interesting how this contemporary version turns things upside down and invites us to consider how we label heroes and villains. More of that sort of perspective would be refreshing to have in our class discussions. The part that stood out most for me was the playwright, Kimberly Belflower, stating that this play grew from her teenage self. That made the play feel very genuine to me, feeling like the characters are truly written for people our age rather than about us. I also love that it is a show that engages students in the story a lot, especially on Broadway. Sometimes it can feel like theater pretends to be for adults and professionals, but again this is a lot more relatable. It reminded me that stories have so much power and that it doesn't just feel okay to question old narratives but absolutely necessary.
My first thought when reading the title was “okay money!” It is beautiful to see that the educational impact that theatre has on students is finally getting recognition and sponsoring on such a high level. John Proctor Is the Villain was put on at CMU School of Drama this year, and it is now honestly one of my favorite plays. I love the concept behind it, and how it runs parallel to the story of The Crucible while they’re studying it, all while tying the concepts in a more modern scenario. Nowadays, the arts are getting attacked, especially its role in education. Theatre is often considered an extracurricular that’s more of a time killer/fun social group, but what people fail to realize is that every theatre kid took something away from that experience. I love that this event is driven by the understanding that theatre generally strengthens “interpretation, point of view, performance, and reflection.”
This is what theater is meant for. It always warms my heart to see community engagement through theater especially when it reaches young people. Theater is a space for reflection and growth as a society, but what good does that do if only the top one percent get to engage with it? I grew up seeing shows at the Old Globe. A hallmark of the Globe’s mission is their commitment to community engagement. Every year they put up touring Shakespeare shows that go to schools, senior living, and other community locations to bring theater to the masses. This past summer the Globe became one of the few theaters to have produced all of Shakespeare's works with their two-part Henry the 6th. This show was a feat in itself but what was even more remarkable was their engagement with hundreds of local San Diego community members. Through workshops community members recorded sound effects and videos for the show, participated in walk-on roles, and created the logo for the show.
I am obsessed with this show! My obsession with The Crucible started in 11th grade when we were forced to read it for English class. But I quickly fell in love with the play and became so obsessed with it. I loved it so much that I did a whole paper project with it as if I was directing it with all of my concepts and everything. Then I became even more obsessed with it when I saw the production of John Proctor is the villain that we did last semester! That was SO cool! That whole production would have been the coolest experience to be a part of! Everyone on the team was amazing! And from the pictures I have seen the broadway production is amazing too and I would love to see it! I want to see it so bad! If I could make it to New York and back I would see it in a heartbeat.
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