JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN Previews- Page 3

[theatergoer3]

Posted: 4/6/25 at 6:07pm

The last beat of this is perfect for the character work and plot developments that lead to it. It’s exactly how I’d end it. 

[Melissa25]

Posted: 4/6/25 at 6:38pm

I really enjoyed the ensemble in this well-written feminist allegory. Fina Strazza was especially good and the direction and pace was well above par. I absolutely loved the ending and left with a big smile on my face.

[broadway86]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 10:17am

Saw this on Saturday and just loved it. Really powerful by the end, and in unexpected ways.

Sadie Sink was wonderful, but Amalia Yoo and Fina Strazza really surprised me. Gabriel Ebert expertly nailed all the juxtaposing facets of Mr. Smith.

Highly recommended.

[Owen22]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 10:49am

That was a really good play!!  Obviously reminded me of The Wolves, another play I adore, except the Wolves were jocks and these girls are budding intellectuals.  But both playwrights have an ear for how teenage girls talk and that talk is wonderful and insightful and communicated by a bunch of tremendous young actresses. Four stars!!

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 11:14am

I thought this was great. A lot of plays recently have felt like preaching to the choir- a woke play for a woke audience but in this case it didn’t bother me too much. It’s precise, very funny, and entertaining. It started to feel a bit long to me around the gas station scene on the lip of the stage. But then the final performance took place and I found myself in tears along with the women surrounding me.

 

The audience wasn’t super well behaved.

[KevinKlawitter]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 12:06pm

Owen22 said: "That was a really good play!! Obviously reminded me of The Wolves, another play I adore, except the Wolves were jocks and these girls are budding intellectuals. But both playwrights have an ear for how teenage girls talk and that talk is wonderful and insightful and communicated by a bunch of tremendous young actresses. Four stars!!"

I read the script the other day and the play that it reminded me of was Kingdom City by Sheri Wilner. Both are plays set in contemporary conservative small towns that The Crucible to parallel buried secrets and sexual impropriety. I enjoyed reading Kingdom City quite a but, but I think I liked John Proctor is the Villain even more. It felt more true to life in terms of how teenagers talk and behave. Kingdom City also goes much darker and is more overtly provocative and explicit in terms of the buried secrets, which is dramatically compelling but less palatable. Kingdom City also is more overtly about the control religion has over small towns and how it is used to cover up misconduct. John Proctor is the Villain, while certainly confronting the same explosive topics, feels more organic in how the topics are integrated into the stories and characters while also being less explicit.

Kingdom City isn't produced often, probably because of how explicit and provocative it gets, but I can see John Proctor is the Villain being more popular. I could see that one being produced in my area, which is exactly the sort of rural conservative place in which both plays are set.

[MaxineElliott]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 4:09pm

Any possibility this extends or becomes an open ended run? Even if Sink is not available they find a “name” actress around that age to take her place. It’s rare a play comes along that really engages with young people and is well reviewed critically. 
 

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