John Proctor Is the Villain
| John Proctor is the Villain | |
|---|---|
 Broadway Promotional Poster | |
| Written by | Kimberly Belflower |
| Date premiered | April 27, 2022 |
| Place premiered | Studio Theatre, Washington D.C. |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Dramedy |
| Setting | Rural Georgia, 2018. |
John Proctor is the Villain is a stage play written by American playwright Kimberly Belflower. The play is a revisionist take on the American classic play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, centering on a group of modern-day high school students and their interpretation of the historical events the play is based on.[1] Belflower received permission to use excerpts from The Crucible from Arthur Miller's estate.[2]
Notable casts
[edit]| Character | Washington D.C. | Boston | Broadway |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2024 | 2025 | |
| Mr. Carter Smith | Dave Register | Japhet Balaban | Gabriel Ebert |
| Miss Bailey Gallagher | Lida Maria Benson | Olivia Hebert | Molly Griggs |
| Beth Powell | Miranda Rizzolo | Jules Talbot | Fina Strazza |
| Nell Shaw | Deidre Staples | Victoria Omoregie | Morgan Scott |
| Ivy Watkins | Resa Mishina | Brianna Martinez | Maggie Kuntz |
| Raelynn Nix | Jordan Slattery | Haley Wong | Amalia Yoo |
| Mason Adams | Ignacio Diaz-Silverio | Maanav Aryan Goyal | Nihar Duvvuri |
| Lee Turner | Zachary Keller | Benjamin Izaak | Hagan Oliveras |
| Shelby Holcomb | Juliana Sass | Isabel Van Natta | Sadie Sink |
Production history
[edit]
Washington, D.C. (2022)
[edit]The play was originally commissioned by The Farm Theater for their College Collaboration Project and first workshopped in 2018 and 2019 at three colleges within their theatre departments: Centre College in Danville, Kentucky,[3] Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina,[4] and Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida.
The final version of the play was first produced by the Studio Theatre in Washington D.C in 2022, running from April 27 until June 5, directed by Marti Lyons.[5]
Boston (2024)
[edit]In 2024, another production was staged at the Huntington Theatre Company in Boston, running from February 8 until March 10, directed by Margot Bordelon.[6] The Boston production was nominated for six Elliot Norton Awards, winning Outstanding Play, Large and Outstanding Ensemble.
Broadway (2025)
[edit]The play premiered on Broadway in 2025, directed by Danya Taymor and starring Sadie Sink. Previews began on March 20, 2025 with an opening date of April 14, 2025 at the Booth Theatre[7] and is scheduled to play its final performance on July 13, 2025. The show opened to positive reviews. It received seven Tony Award nominations, including Best Play.
Awards and nominations
[edit]2023 Original production
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Helen Hayes Awards | Outstanding Production in a Play | John Proctor is the Villain | Won | [8][9] |
| Outstanding Ensemble in a Play | Cast of John Proctor is the Villain | Won | |||
| Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical | Kimberly Belflower | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play | Juliana Sass | Nominated | |||
| Jordan Slattery | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Play | Ignacio Diaz-Silverio | Nominated | |||
| Deidre Staples | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Direction in a Play | Marti Lyons | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Lighting Design | Jesse Belsky | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Set Design | Luciana Stecconi | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Sound Design | Kathy Ruvuna | Nominated |
2024 Boston production
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Elliot Norton Awards | Outstanding Play | John Proctor is the Villain | Won | [10] [11] |
| Outstanding Ensemble | Cast of John Proctor is the Villain | Won | |||
| Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play | Jules Talbot | Nominated | |||
| Isabel Van Natta | Nominated | ||||
| Haley Wong | Nominated | ||||
| Oustanding Director | Margot Bordelon | Nominated |
2025 Broadway production
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Kimberly Belflower | Pending | [12] |
| Best Actress in a Play | Sadie Sink | Pending | |||
| Best Featured Actress in a Play | Fina Strazza | Pending | |||
| Best Featured Actor in a Play | Gabriel Ebert | Pending | |||
| Best Direction of a Play | Danya Taymor | Pending | |||
| Best Lighting Design of a Play | Natasha Katz and Hannah Wasileski | Pending | |||
| Best Sound Design of a Play | Palmer Hefferan | Pending | |||
| Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Play | Kimberly Belflower | Nominated | [13] | |
| Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play | Amalia Yoo | Won | |||
| Outstanding Direction of a Play | Danya Taymor | Won | |||
| Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play | Natasha Katz | Nominated | |||
| Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Play | John Proctor is the Villain | Nominated | [14] | |
| Outstanding Direction of a Play | Danya Taymor | Nominated | |||
| Dorian Awards | Outstanding Broadway Play | John Proctor is the Villain | Pending | [15] | |
| Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play | Sadie Sink | Pending | |||
| Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Play | Fina Strazza | Pending | |||
| Amalia Yoo | Pending | ||||
| Outstanding Broadway Ensemble | Ensemble | Pending | |||
| Broadway Showstopper Award | "Green Light" dance sequence | Pending | |||
| Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Play | John Proctor is the Villain | Won | [16] | |
| Outstanding Direction of a Play | Danya Taymor | Won |
References
[edit]- ^ SpotCo. "Cast". JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN | Official Broadway Website. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
- ^ Dramatists.com John Proctor is the Villain licensing accessed 10/20/2024
- ^ Goff, Jennifer. "John Proctor is the Villain". Centre College. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
- ^ Underwood, Tina (October 18, 2024). "Furman Theatre collaboration with Belflower to hit Broadway". Furman News. Furman University. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
- ^ "John Proctor is the Villain". Playbill. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ Huntington Theatre Company John Proctor accessed 10/20/2024
- ^ Evans, Greg (October 17, 2024). "'Stranger Things' Actor Sadie Sink To Star In Broadway Comedy 'John Proctor Is The Villain'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
- ^ Marloff, Sarah (January 31, 2023). "And the Nominees for the 2023 Helen Hayes Awards Are..." Washington City Paper. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
- ^ "Theatre Washington celebrates 2023 Helen Hayes Awards". DC Theater Arts. May 23, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
- ^ Boston Theater Critics Association. "The 41st Annual Elliot Norton Awards" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on June 30, 2024. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ Sinclair, Jacquinn (May 20, 2024). "The Huntington and Reagle Music Theatre win big at Elliot Norton Awards". WBUR. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
- ^ "2025 Tony Awards: 'Buena Vista Social Club,' 'Death Becomes Her,' 'Maybe Happy Ending' Lead Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
- ^ "2024-2025 Drama Desk Awards nominations announce". NY1. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
- ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (May 16, 2025). "Nicole Scherzinger Wins Distinguished Performance at 2025 Drama League Awards; Read the Full Winners List". Playbill. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
- ^ "'Death Becomes Her' leads nominations for Dorian Theater Awards". Broadwaynews. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
- ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (May 12, 2025). "Maybe Happy Ending Leads 2025 Outer Critics Circle Awards; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved May 12, 2025.