Tony-Nominated “John Proctor Is the Villain” Welcomes 300 NYC Public High Schoolers

 

Tony-Nominated “John Proctor Is the Villain” Welcomes 300 NYC Public High Schoolers for Student Matinee in Partnership with Quizlet

Broadway’s John Proctor Is the Villain, the critically acclaimed play by Kimberly Belflower and seven-time Tony Award® nominee, will open its doors to 300 New York City public high school students for a special student matinee on Wednesday, May 7.

In partnership with the global learning platform Quizlet, this initiative is part of a broader effort to connect education with the arts, bringing classroom lessons to life for students who may be experiencing live theater for the first time.

“Partnering with John Proctor Is the Villain, just made sense for us,” said Mallory O’Brien, Head of Social at Quizlet. “It’s where culture, education, and supporting student voices intersect. We’re honored to help bridge the classroom with real-world storytelling.”

Directed by Tony Award winner Danya Taymor, John Proctor Is the Villain opened at the Booth Theatre on April 14 and stars Sadie Sink (Stranger Things) as Shelby Holcomb. The cast includes Nihar Duvvuri, Gabriel Ebert, Molly Griggs, Maggie Kuntz, Hagan Oliveras, Morgan Scott, Fina Strazza, and Amalia Yoo.

Set in a high school in rural Georgia, the play follows a group of students as they unpack The Crucible, sparking a deeper reckoning with the roles of power, truth, and identity in their own lives. It’s a timely, explosive work that asks what it means to reclaim your story—and who pays the price for telling it.

Peter Avery, Director of Theater for the NYC Department of Education, called the experience “an invaluable opportunity.” He added, “By providing these fully subsidized tickets to our teens, the show brings the page to the stage, reasserting the impact of theater literacy for our youth in their classrooms and in their lives.”

The matinee not only allows students to engage with a contemporary adaptation of a classic high school text but also reflects an ongoing effort by Broadway to expand access and relevance to the next generation of theatergoers.

Tickets to John Proctor Is the Villain are available at johnproctoristhevillain.com and via Telecharge.

For more on Quizlet’s educational initiatives, visit quizlet.com.