SALT LAKE CITY — Pioneer Theatre Company is starting it’s 65th season with a Utah Professional Premiere of a recent Broadway hit, John Proctor is the Villain, written by Kimberly Belflower. Directed by PTC’s artistic director Karen Azenburg, the show follows a group of juniors in high school honors English in a small town in Georgia and their well-loved teacher, played by Colby Strong. The class is studying The Crucible and dealing with the themes in the play and the controversies in their personal lives and their town. The show was written and developed in the height of the #metoo movement, and has echoes of the histories of the Salem witch trials and McCarthyism.
Originally gaining life in various college workshops and new works festivals, the show made its way to Broadway in 2025, and through the leadership of Azenburg, has found its way to the stage here in Salt Lake. A sprinkler issue late in the rehearsal phase may have derailed the production, but in an effort that shows the resilience and connection of the Utah theatre community, the show found a home at the Westminster Performing Arts Building at the Westminster University campus, so the show was able to go on while the stage at PTC is repaired.
Azenburg, managing director Adrian Budhu, and dramaturg Andra Harbold all put thoughtful notes in the playbill that guided the show, that ran just under two hours without an intermission. The show covers a lot of subject matter, ranging from sexual assault, trauma, and rape, to underage assault and consent, so the need for good guidance within a playbill is something that is valued. One thing that these directors worded nicely was the point that Belflower seems to be highlighting in her play: that multiple things can be true, and most things fall into the gray area.
Each of the nine cast members played their parts with precision and excellence. I was initially taken in by Skye Alyssa Friedman as Beth, a character who was trying too hard to be perfect, get the perfect grades, say the perfect things, and yet was saying sorry at the drop of a hat. Near the end of the play, the guidance counselor, Bailey Gallagher, played by a very calm and eloquent Maggie Goble, says to Beth “you don’t have to apologize for existing” and the line stuck with me.
Nell Shaw, played by Rocky Anicette, is a newcomer from Atlanta and is an outsider both to the way the small town works and the inside drama. Anicette does a great job not completely understanding the dynamics of small town life, and therefore helping make the exposition more palpable. Ivy, played by Adri Cumming, has one of the more difficult roles to navigate, because the plot has her dealing with one of those “gray” areas with her father, and she does an excellent job cultivating sympathy in a character that could easily be written off. I enjoyed that this play did not just look at one side of abuse, because it is very hard for everyone involved, and these conversations are complicated to have.
The pair that are the most intriguing to watch are Alex Humphreys as Raelynn Nix and Allison Dorsey as Shelby Holcomb. Best friends since childhood who have a major falling out, the way this pair navigate through serious problems, conflict, and trauma is an impressive lesson in acting and healing. Dorsey pushes through a lot of heavy subject matter with impeccable talent, and Nix shows such leaps of character development that it was hard to believe this was only a two-hour show. I loved as well that the director seemed to emphasize the friendship, and how friendships can weather hardship and trial and come out stronger in the end. There was a scene near the end with the two sitting outside a gas station that grabbed at my heartstrings more than any romantic scene ever could have.
The show mirrors many of the characters of The Crucible, however it twists the narrative as the title says. The young male characters, Lee played by Carson Steward and Mason played by Gage Martinez get less focus in the plot than the female students, but their purpose is no less important. I was especially taken by the growth of Mason, and loved the contribution of Martinez in the beautiful final scene. I do not want to spoil the final scene, which is where the set design, by Jo Winiarski, mostly just a classroom that serves as a sufficient backdrop for the plot, saves an element of surprising magic for the end that I was delighted with.
I found the show complicated and important to watch. I do not mean complicated in understanding. I mean complicated in the way it makes a person feel. We live in an age where some are canceled over any misstep, and others seem to get away with literal murder. We watch trials on our TV and wonder if justice is ever brought to people, and we do not always know the full story. We cast our verdict of who the villain is, who the hero is, and often change our minds when we are closer to the person in question. As a therapist, I tell families in my office we are usually listening to speak rather than listening to understand. I hope that I went to this show to understand. I recommend that people open their minds to this new telling of The Crucible and take the chance to see the Utah professional premiere while we have the chance.
MORE INFO: John Proctor is the Villain is currently playing as part of the Pioneer Theatre Company 2026–2027 season. Performances are held at 7:30 PM on select evenings, with some 2:00 PM matinees on Saturdays through October 3, 2026. Because of a flood at the PTC theatre, performances are being held at the Jay W. Lees Courage Theater at the Westminster Performing Arts Center (1248 East 1700 South Salt Lake City, UT 84105). Tickets for John Proctor is the Villain typically range from $30 to $65. For the most up-to-date schedule, performance details, and official ticketing, visit the Pioneer Theatre Company website: https://pioneertheatre.org/
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