The new Broadway play “John Proctor Is the Villain” has scheduled a week of events to be held at the Booth Theatre. Collectively called “Spirit Week 2.0,” the events will be held after all performances during the week of May 13-18. “John Proctor Is the Villain” is currently nominated for seven 2025 Tony Awards.
Events will begin on May 13 for an “‘I Scream’ Social” in partnership with Van Leeuwen. Audience members will receive a free scoop of ice cream, while supplies last, from a truck parked outside the Booth Theatre following the 7:00 p.m. performance.
May 14 will be “Honors Lit Day,” a collaboration with No Book Bans, which will offer a special post-show giveaway of banned books for ticket holders after both the matinée and evening performances. First organized in 2022, No Book Bans is a coalition of theater artists, theaters for young people and other organizations opposing efforts to ban books and works of theater from young people.
“John Proctor Is the Villain” will be taking over Shubert Alley on May 15 for a post-show “Silent Disco” dance party, presented by @whatthefloat — with songs curated by audience members prior to the performance.
On May 16, audience members will be encouraged to wear their school merchandise and colors for an event called “School Spirit Day.”
Finally, on May 17 and 18, limited-edition posters will be given out following each of the weekend’s performances.
Set at a high school in a rural town in Georgia, as an English class is studying Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” the play follows students who seem more preoccupied with navigating young love, sex education and a few school scandals. As they delve into the American classic, the students begin to question Miller’s play’s perspective and the validity of naming John Proctor as the show’s hero.
Penned by Kimberly Belflower and directed by Danya Taymor, “John Proctor Is the Villain” began previews on March 20 and opened on April 14 at the Booth Theatre. The production’s seven Tony nominations include a Best Play nod for Belflower and the show’s producers, as well as a nomination for Taymor and actors Sadie Sink, Fina Strazza and Gabriel Ebert.
“John Proctor Is the Villain” is produced by Sue Wagner, John Johnson, John Mara Jr., Runyonland and Eric Falkenstein.
