RAHS Drama is performing two shows, The Crucible by Arthur Miller and John Proctor is the Villain by Kimberly Bellflower, in the Neilson theater March 28-30 and April 3-6.
For the first time in recorded RAHS Drama history there will be two different shows produced and performed at the same time. The Crucible is a dramatized version of the events in the town of Salem’s witch hunts in 1692. John Proctor is the Villain is a story following a group of high school girls studying “The Crucible” in English class as they grapple with power, feminism, the #MeToo movement and the legacy of historical figures like John Proctor.
Live theatre gives life to a story. Senior Ayanna Churcher, playing Abigail Williams in The Crucible, said seeing a live performance gives the characters in The Crucible more nuance than simply reading the story does.
Mitch Frazier, Technical Director of John Proctor is The Villain and The Crucible, stated “To see it [The Crucible] preformed brought to life, than also those same characters [in John Proctor is The Villain] can also inform us in modern society, it’s an opportunity to delve deeper into something you should be familiar with.”
The story of John Proctor is The Villain covers many serious topics like sexual assault, feminism, conflicts within friendships and the way that not everything is clear cut, just a yes or no. The girls in John Proctor is The Villain have many fights amongst themselves when it comes to the #MeToo movement and the characters in The Crucible.
John Proctor is The Villain, despite being fiction, tells very real stories. Carrie Thomas, an 11th grader playing Raelynn in John Proctor is The Villain said “This [sexual assault] happens in America, it’s not just some tales it happens in real life.”
Erik Lane, Co Director of John Proctor is The Villain, said “John Proctor is The Villain really challenges us to not be comfortable with the injustice in the world.”
Kaitlen Osburn, Co Director of John Proctor is The Villain and The Crucible, noted that seeing both John Proctor is The Villain and The Crucible really makes you think about these topics and how they affect the world.
Many of the cast have high praises for RAHS’s performance of John Proctor is The Villain. 11th grader Tass Coylewright, actor of Shelby Holcomb, stated that their favorite part of John Proctor is The Villain is the ending dance and said, “it’s a big giant middle finger to our big evil villain.”
