Kimberly Belflower (Playwright) is a playwright and educator originally from a small town in Appalachian Georgia. She earned her MFA from the University of Texas at Austin and teaches playwriting at Emory University in Atlanta.
Belflower’s play John Proctor Is the Villain had its world premiere in 2022 at Studio Theatre and will open on Broadway in spring 2025. Her other plays include Lost Girl, which had its world premiere in 2018 at Milwaukee Rep and earned the Kennedy
Center Darrell Ayers National Playwriting Award; and Saint
Pigtail, which was commissioned and developed by Studio
Theatre and was a 2023 O’Neill finalist from the National
Playwrights Conference.

“Abuse of power comes as no surprise.”
—Jenny Holzer

While theatre historians may not consider John Proctor Is the Villain to be a period piece quite yet, the world has changed dramatically since the events of this play.

The Me Too movement, founded by activist Tarana Burke in 2006, gained widespread attention in 2018 when actress Alyssa Milano encouraged victims of sexual assault and harassment to use #MeToo on social media, highlighting the pervasive misconduct and abuse of power, particularly in workplaces. The piece of theatre we are about to engage with takes place in early 2018 in a world before Harvey Weinstein was convicted of sexual assault and imprisoned for his actions. Since the play’s original premiere, 24 states have passed workplace anti-harassment bills and a large number of institutions are being held accountable for allowing unsafe and inappropriate working environments: a major win for the cause. However, the often covert ability to leverage one’s power against vulnerable populations is still alive and well in spaces across the globe.

While John Proctor Is the Villain is permanently rooted in the events of 2018, its influence and importance are still apparent to this day; this fact is especially clear following the announcement of its spring 2025 Broadway run, which will allow the story to reach a new, extensive audience. This piece sparkles with urgency and rage, providing a voice not only to young women of this generation but all people who have been preyed upon by those willing to exploit and abuse systems of power.

Throughout this process, our creative team elected to center the work of American conceptual artist Jenny Holzer, whose creations center the display of words and ideas in public spaces. Much of Holzer’s work focuses on feminism, sexism, and the abuse of power. Many of the artist’s quotes can be seen projected onstage during transitions. Holzer’s unapologetic defiance of societal norms aligns closely with Kimberly Belflower’s narrative in this play, where she interrogates the lasting impact of patriarchal systems, purity culture, and power imbalance. By incorporating Holzer’s unapologetic work into our production’s design, we are shining a light on how societal norms are portrayed in this play and, ultimately, called into question.

As we venture into rural Georgia to follow a rollercoaster-like story of teenage girlhood, it’s important that we consider the complex interplay of gender, sexuality, upbringing, and religion that shape these girls’ worldviews. By engaging with this piece, we not only get to see life through the eyes of these characters – we also have the rare opportunity to sit with ourselves and consider the social and political power we give to ideas, concepts, and people in our everyday lives.

—Reese Leif, Associate Dramaturg

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The Crucible, one of the classics of American theatre, was originally written by U-M grad Arthur Miller and published in 1953. In it, Miller uses the historical Salem witch trials of 1692 as an allegory for the contemporary Red Scare of McCarthyism happening around him.

The story centers around the New England town of Salem, Massachusetts, and the mass hysteria that spreads from a group of girls who are caught dancing in the woods by the local reverend. Accusations of witchcraft and false confessions spread through the town, eventually reaching the household of farmer John Proctor and his wife, Elizabeth. Proctor had previously had an affair with Abigail Williams, the ringleader of the young girls and the reverend’s niece and ward.

In an effort to restore reason to the town – and to hide his affair and preserve his good name – Proctor seeks to end the cycle of fraudulent accusations and confessions.

In the end, Proctor himself confesses to witchcraft, though he later tears up his confession in a last-ditch effort to end the witch-hunt hysteria. He ultimately goes to the gallows – a victim of a culture of paranoia as well as his own fatal flaws.

Special thanks to SAPAC (the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center) for their collaboration and support of this production.

Anishinaabeg gaa bi dinokiiwaad temigad manda Michigan Kichi Kinoomaagegamig. Mdaaswi nshwaaswaak shi mdaaswi shi niizhawaaswi gii-sababoonagak, Ojibweg, Odawaag, minwaa Bodwe’aadamiig wiiba gii-miigwenaa’aa maamoonjiniibina Kichi Kinoomaagegamigoong wi pii-gaa aanjibiigaadeg Kichi-Naakonigewinning, debendang manda aki, mampii Niisaajiwan, gewiinwaa niijaansiwaan ji kinoomaagaazinid. Daapanaming ninda kidwinan, megwaa minwaa gaa bi aankoosejig zhinda akiing minwaa gii-miigwewaad Kichi-Kinoomaagegamigoong aanji-daapinanigaade minwaa mshkowenjigaade.

The University of Michigan is located on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe people. In 1817, the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Bodewadami Nations made the largest single land transfer to the University of Michigan. This was offered ceremonially as a gift through the Treaty at the Foot of the Rapids so that their children could be educated. Through these words of acknowledgment, their contemporary and ancestral ties to the land and their contributions to the University are renewed and reaffirmed.

Several characters in John Proctor Is the Villain face complex challenges that reflect real-life struggles. We recognize the importance of these issues, and if you or someone you know could use support, the following organizations and community resources are available. Please feel free to share it with anyone who might benefit.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) – Confidential U-M service

Washtenaw Alive – Crisis Services Community-Based Service

Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center (SAPAC) – Confidential U-M service

SafeHouse Center – Empowering survivors of sexual assault/intimate partner violence

04 – JPITV program