‘John Proctor Is the Villain’ to Be Preserved in New York Public Library’s Theatre Archive

The seven-time Tony Award–nominated John Proctor Is the Villain will join the ranks of Broadway works preserved for future generations, as the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts records the production for its Theatre on Film and Tape Archive (TOFT). The taping will take place on Friday, June 13, at the Booth Theatre.

Written by Kimberly Belflower and directed by Tony Award winner Danya Taymor, the play opened on April 14 and has drawn critical praise for its sharp script, dynamic staging, and a breakout performance by Sadie Sink as Shelby Holcomb.

Set in a contemporary Georgia classroom, John Proctor Is the Villain tracks a group of teenage girls as they study The Crucible, only to begin questioning the narratives they’ve inherited—about history, gender, and who gets to tell the story. What begins as an academic exercise becomes a fiery reckoning with legacy, power, and self-definition.

“Fueled by pop music, optimism, and fury,” the play “shines a blazing spotlight on the eternal fight to claim your own narrative,” according to production notes. The New York Times previously named it “one of the most anticipated of the season.”

 

Sink is joined by a strong ensemble that includes Nihar Duvvuri, Gabriel Ebert, Molly Griggs, Maggie Kuntz, Hagan Oliveras, Morgan Scott, Fina Strazza, and Amalia Yoo. Understudies are Noah Pacht, Fiona Robberson, Shian Tomlinson, Garrett Young, and Victoria Vourkoutiotis.

The creative team features set design by AMP and Teresa L. Williams; costumes by Sarah Laux; lighting by Natasha Katz; sound and original composition by Palmer Hefferan; projections by Hannah Wasileski; and hair and makeup by J. Jared Janas. Movement direction is by Tilly Evans-Krueger, with intimacy coordination by Ann James, vocal coaching by Gigi Buffington, dramaturgy by Lauren Halvorsen, and casting by Taylor Williams.

The upcoming taping marks the latest addition to the Library for the Performing Arts’ TOFT archive, which has preserved landmark productions since 1970. Part of the New York Public Library’s vast Lincoln Center campus, the archive ensures that scholars, artists, and the public can access filmed performances that would otherwise be lost to time. This year marks the Library for the Performing Arts’ 60th anniversary.

Tickets for John Proctor Is the Villain are available at johnproctoristhevillain.com, telecharge.com, or by calling 212-239-6200.

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