26-27 Proposal: John Proctor Is the Villain

John Proctor is the Villain 

by Kimberly Bellflower

DIrected by Melissa Gutiérrez

Show Synopsis

From Dramatists’ Play Service:

“At a high school in a one-stoplight town in Georgia, an English class is studying The Crucible but the students are more preoccupied with navigating young love, sex ed, and a few school scandals. As the students delve into the American classic, they begin to question the play’s perspective and the validity of naming John Proctor the show’s hero. With deep wells of passion and biting humor, this comedy captures a generation mid-transformation, running on pop music, optimism, and fury, discovering that their future is not bound by the past and that they have the power to change it all.”

Vision Statement

I was lucky enough to see John Proctor Is the Villain on stage this year, and what a pleasure that was! I distinctly remember the breadth of feelings that I experienced while watching this poignant play. I felt: a gentle familiarity with these characters, taking me back to my high school days; overjoyed while witnessing friends reconcile and stand together amidst serious conflict; dumbstruck during certain scenes that broke my heart; frustrated when characters didn’t seem to “get it”; righteous indignation when some were being wronged or manipulated; like rooting for characters practicing courage; moved to tears at seeing healing moments unfold onstage; excited for the next scene to unfold; amused at the witty writing. I wish I could see it again. In directing this play at the Majestic, I hope to evoke these same feelings in others.

Why stage it now? John Proctor is the Villain is a highly relevant and timely story of high school students in an English classroom traversing the challenges of adolescence, grappling with current events, navigating interpersonal relationships, coming into their own, and finding their voice. We have so many young people in the Majestic community, I think it’s worth sharing a story for and about them. To add to this, this play is set in the height of the #MeToo movement in 2018. We currently have a president, a Supreme Court justice, and others with power accused of sexual misconduct and assault who are targeting our marginalized communities, as well as threatening the reproductive rights of millions in this country. Furthermore, Corvallis has a strong young adult presence, especially through the university. Campus sexual violence is still a pervasive problem, with 26.4% of female and 6.8% of male undergraduate students reporting experiencing sexual violence. In presenting this play, I want to remind people that their voices matter, communities are powerful, their stories are important, and individuals make a difference. 

The set for this play will be simple and effective, allowing the heart of the story to really shine: the realistic, sincere characters and their quick, witty dialogue. We’ll stage a classroom, in which all but one scene of the play takes place. Lighting and sound design will be very important here, considering the set is static, and will creatively help the audience know what the characters are feeling. We also aim to showcase the various kinds of high school students that you may find in a rural Georgia high school, with their different styles and walks of life, through costume, styling, and casting. We want the characters and their voices to shine above all. 

This show contains difficult content. Content warnings will definitely be important for audiences of the show. Setting the scene and treating heavier topics with care will be fundamental for audiences and the production process. For actors, I think what will be supremely helpful is having exercises at the beginning and end of rehearsals and performances to get into character and de-role, so actors and crew alike are hopefully not bringing the heaviness of those situations back home with them. Mental health is so important in theater and often overlooked. Thankfully, a member of the production team is currently finishing up their master of arts in clinical mental health counseling with drama therapy, has experience in such exercises, and can largely lead and/or assist with those. Reminding the cast and crew to be gentle and kind with each other, and giving each other space to process what’s happening is important. And of course, an intimacy coordinator will be essential for the physical and emotional safety of the cast and crew. 

The bulk of the set is static, simple, and not complicated: picture a high school English classroom that is constant throughout the whole play. I think we'd largely use items that we already have: 7-9 student desks (which we may still have from Matilda the Musical), one teacher's desk, and maybe a couple of bookcases. We might want to set the desks on short risers for some levels. Some larger items that we may need to acquire if we don't already have them is a set of 1-2 rotating whiteboards or chalkboards, lockers, and maybe bean bags or some other comfy chairs that are low to the ground. I think we can use the brick back wall of the Majestic as-is and not really need to add much else besides some decor and small items for a classroom. We also need a separate, static outdoor vignette for one scene outside of a gas station that can be off to a corner by the wings in front of the stage by the stairs. Maybe a single gas pump and light post and/or phone booth to set the scene? Nothing too elaborate or complicated. I think most of these shouldn't be too expensive, especially if we already have them or can borrow them from a neighboring theater such as Albany Civic Theater and/or Pentacle Theatre. Light and sound design will also be really important to add to the atmosphere. I’m thinking of using specific colors and sounds between each scene transition to highlight what a character is feeling in that moment after the encounter they just had. 

I am so passionate about this play because it tells such impactful, real, and raw stories of adolescence and life: the impact of song and dance; the excitement of a crush; the strength and independence gained when given the time and space to do so;  the joy and messiness of friendships and relationships; the beauty of allyship and reconciliation; the power behind young voices; the importance of challenging your own beliefs and worldviews; the life-changing effect of believing women. This play shares the reality of multiple truths: you can miss somebody and be happy to see them, and still be mad at how they hurt you; somebody can be your hero, and also deeply wrong and hurt others; somebody could have been the victim of a serious overstep in authority, and also not act in their own self-interest in response. The play embraces the messiness of living in these grey areas, and I believe this story will comfort, challenge, break the hearts of audience members, and mend it back together, leaving a mark that has them reconsider, think, laugh, feel heard, and exit the theater feeling less alone.

In the words of Shelby Holcomb, who colorfully quotes Walt Whitman, “I contain frickin' multitudes.” So, too, does this play contain multitudes.