The Department of Theatre at Hope College will present Kimberly Belflower’s “John Proctor is the Villain” on Friday-Sunday, Feb. 23-25, and Thursday-Sunday, Feb. 29-March 3, in the 75-seat studio theatre of the DeWitt Student and Cultural Center.
There will be evening performances on Friday-Saturday, Feb. 23-24, and Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 29-March 2, at 7:30 p.m. There will be matinees on Sunday, Feb. 25, and Saturday-Sunday, March 2-3, at 2 p.m.
Directed by Rhett Luedtke, associate professor of theatre at Hope, and set in rural Georgia, this quick-paced, powerful script centers around the stories of a handful of students at Helen’s County High who are forced to navigate the adult world of sexual power dynamics while also trying to survive their honors English class. When the mayor of the town and a student’s parent are both accused of sexual harassment in separate incidents, the students are torn between whether to believe the women who claim assault or the men who claim innocence. In the meantime, as their dynamic English teacher introduces them to Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” a startling announcement brings this story of witch hunts, American heroes and sexual power dynamics directly into their classroom.
In addition to Luedtke, the college’s production team consists of Keith Pitts, an adjunct member of the art and art history faculty, as scenic designer; Michelle Bombe, professor of theatre and department chair, as costume designer; Ken Chamberlain, assistant director of production for dance and theatre, as sound designer; Stephen Krebs, technical director for theatre and Hope Repertory Theatre, as properties designer and technical director; and Anna Hill, theatre department costume manager and dance department costume designer, as costume shop manager.
Also serving on the production team are sophomore Ava Bell of Farmington Hills as stage manager; sophomores Evelyn Lapadat of Elkhart, Indiana, and Isabelle Seiler of Grand Rapids as assistant stage managers; and senior Natalie Stringham of Ann Arbor as lighting designer.
The cast includes freshman Nadia Cuthrell of Haslett; sophomore Ruby Hlathein of Caledonia; sophomore Elliana Johnson of East Lansing; sophomore Christopher Laubach of Macomb; freshman Kolton Muldowney of Buffalo, New York; freshman Jacqueline Schatz of Davisburg; freshman Kyle Spiegel of Wheaton, Illinois; sophomore Meg Voetberg of Grand Rapids; and sophomore Sofia Wake of Washington, Illinois.
Admission to the matinees on Sunday, Feb. 25, and Sunday, March 3, is free. Tickets for the evening performances and for the Saturday, March 2, matinee are $10 for regular admission; $7 for senior citizens and Hope faculty and staff; and free for Hope College students and other students ages 18 and under. Tickets are available at the Events and Conferences Office located in downtown Holland in the Anderson-Werkman Financial Center (100 E. Eighth St.). The ticket office is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be called at 616-395-7890. Tickets may be purchased by calling or visiting the ticket office, online at hope.edu/tickets, or in person at the performance.
Given the limited seating in the studio theatre, all reserved tickets must be picked up at least 10 minutes before the performance to be guaranteed seating in the theatre.
To inquire about accessibility or if you need accommodations to fully participate in the event, please email accommodations@hope.edu. Updates related to events are posted when available at hope.edu/calendar in the individual listings.
The DeWitt Student and Cultural Center is located at 141 E. 12th St., facing Columbia Avenue between 10th and 13th Streets. The studio theatre is located on the lowest level near the building’s southeast corner.