'John Proctor Is the Villain' questions authority, convention in new comedy
LAWRENCE — "John Proctor Is the Villain" brims with sharp wit and pop culture references; nonetheless, this new comedy opening at the University of Kansas offers plenty of fodder for serious self-exploration on deeply held conventions.
The show opens University Theatre’s spring season, playing March 7-13 in the William Inge Memorial Theatre at Murphy Hall. A pre-show talk with Bess Rowen, who researches portrayals of teenage female rage on stage and has explored shows like "Mean Girls," will occur March 13 in 341 Murphy Hall. Talkbacks with the cast will take place March 8 and March 11 in the theatre.
This coming-of-age story will feel “very real” as the student cast members are only a couple years removed from the age of the characters and their recent lived experiences revolving high school friendships and love helped shape them in rendering the roles of teenagers, according to director Jane Barnette, professor in the Department of Theatre & Dance.
Set in 2018 on the heels of the #MeToo Movement, this new comedy has given the playwright, Kimberly Belflower, Broadway name recognition as the work makes its Broadway premiere March 20. Tickets to see KU’s production can be purchased via the show's web page, in person noon-5 p.m. at the box office in Murphy Hall or by calling 785-864-3982.
"This is a play about a charismatic teacher and about adolescent students discovering their power amid the challenges they face as they learn about literature. We hope locals will take this opportunity to be among the first to see Kimberly Belflower’s poignant comedy before it hits Broadway,” Barnette said. “With savage humor and a sense of heightened emotion, the play confronts the metaphorical use of ‘witch hunts’ and turns the term on its head.”
In "John Proctor Is the Villain," a contemporary small-town high school’s study of "The Crucible" sparks a battle over power, betrayal and identity. "The Crucible," a 1953 play by Arthur Miller, is the partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials.
Films like "Mean Girls," "High School Musical," "Heathers" and "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" all are defined as comedies but have a dark underbelly. “This play is also a dark comedy,” Barnette said.
Original music composed by Mack McLaughlin, junior in music composition from Lincoln, Nebraska, will help the action move along and is a unique feature of the show.
In addition to Barnette as director and McLaughlin as composer, the creative team members are Josh Gilpin, second-year MFA student in scenography, as scenic designer; Lacey Marr, junior in theatre design from Liberty, Missouri, as costume designer; Riley Sansbury, senior in theatre performance from Houston, as lighting designer; Kitty Corum, graduate student, playwright, actor and freelance fight choreographer from Kansas City, as assistant director; Tiffani Brooks Hagan, KU doctoral student and freelance director from Campobello, South Carolina, as dramaturg; and Nya Rippert, sophomore in pharmacy from Ellsworth, as stage manager.
KU’s production is double cast, allowing for more student participation, which rewards repeat viewing. Cast members who appear in every showing are Casey Schenk, junior in theatre performance and mathematics from Topeka, as Mr. Smith, and Katelyn Arnold, junior in theatre performance from Topeka, as Miss Gallagher. The rest of the cast will perform on rotation, as posted on the "John Proctor Is the Villain: web page. Audiences will see Olly Mitchell, senior in theatre and American Sign Language from Maize, and Luci Damon-Davis, junior in film & media studies from Gurnee, Illinois, as Shelby; River Ott, sophomore in secondary history and government education from Derby, and Adeline Rome, sophomore in psychology and English from Topeka, as Beth; Ashanti Bell Green, senior in film & media studies from Fort Scott, and Sasha René, freshman in journalism & mass communications from Atlanta, as Nell; Sylvia VanDenPlas, freshman in psychology and film and media production from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Alex Reimer, sophomore in theatre from Paola, as Ivy; Taylor Getz, junior in theatre performance from Santa Clara, California, and Vidhi Bhakta, junior in molecular, cellular & developmental biology from Salina, as Raelynn; Tré White, junior in psychology from St. Louis, and James Kensinger, junior in theatre performance from Topeka, as Mason; and Connor Cooper, senior in history and theatre performance from Lawrence, and Cade Nelson, freshman in theatre from Topeka, as Lee.
Barnette writes about adaptation dramaturgy. In 2018, she published "Adapturgy: The Dramaturg’s Art and Theatrical Adaptation," the first of its kind to address the theory and practice of adaptation dramaturgy. At KU, she teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in dramaturgy, theatre history, script analysis and seminars, including one on the portrayal of witches on the stage and screen. She currently serves as a KU Center for Teaching Excellence Faculty Fellow. Recent University Theatre directing credits are Caryl Churchill’s "Love and Information" and Susan Gayle Todd’s "Sycorax." More can be found on her faculty web page.
The University Theatre is a production wing of KU's Department of Theatre & Dance, offering public productions during the academic year. The University Theatre productions are funded in part by Student Senate fees and supported by Truity Credit Union. For more information on the University Theatre or to purchase tickets, visit KU Theatre website.
The department is one of three departments in the School of the Arts. As part of the KU College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the School of the Arts offers fresh possibilities for collaboration between the arts and the humanities, sciences, social sciences, international and interdisciplinary studies.