Things are unsettled at Helen County High in rural Georgia—rumors are swirling around a student’s dad, another student blew up her life and left for Atlanta, and Mr. Smith’s junior English class has to make it through sex ed before they can finally start The Crucible. But what one man calls a witch hunt, a young woman calls the truth, and when the teens start questioning what really happened in Salem, everything threatens to change. A new play from a major new voice, John Proctor is the Villain captures a generation in mid-transformation, running on pop music, optimism, and fury—writing their own coming of age story.
Runtime: 2 hours with a 15-minute intermission
In the interest of welcoming people with a wide range of needs and life experiences, Studio offers a bit of information on what you will encounter in the play. There are some spoilers in here, so be ready, and please use this information as it is helpful to you.
John Proctor is the Villain is generously underwritten by Dr. Mark Epstein and Amoretta Hoeber
and Teresa and Dan Schwartz.
Kimberly Belflower is a playwright and educator originally from a small town in Appalachian Georgia. She is currently developing a new play, Saint Pigtail, commissioned by Studio Theatre. Her play, Lost Girl, premiered at Milwaukee Rep and is published by Concord Theatricals (Samuel French). Kimberly’s other work has been produced, developed, and commissioned by South Coast Rep, Manhattan Theatre Club, Alliance Theatre, and the Ojai Playwrights Conference, among others. She received The Kennedy Center’s 2018 Darrell Ayers Playwriting Award and was on the 2019 Kilroys List. Kimberly has also worked as a narrative lead for Meow Wolf, where she wrote a short film with original music by Beach House. She holds an MFA from the University of Texas at Austin and is a Playwriting Fellow at Emory University in Atlanta.
(As of March 2022)
Marti Lyons returns to Studio, where she previously directed The Wolves by Sarah DeLappe and both the stage and audio productions of Kings by Sarah Burgess. Marti most recently directed Cymbeline at American Players Theatre and will next direct Sense and Sensibility at APT and the co-world premiere of Wife of a Salesman at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. Marti’s other productions include How to Defend Yourself by Liliana Padilla, a Victory Gardens and Actors Theatre of Louisville co-production; Cambodian Rock Band by Lauren Yee at Victory Gardens and City Theatre; Witch by Jen Silverman at Geffen Playhouse (LA Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Direction); The Niceties by Eleanor Burgess at Writers Theatre; Native Gardens by Karen Zacarías at Victory Gardens; Botticelli in the Fire by Jordan Tannahill at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company; Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner at Court Theatre; The Merry Wives of Windsor at Montana Shakespeare in the Parks; I, Banquo at Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Wit with The Hypocrites; and The City of Conversation by Anthony Giardina at Northlight Theatre. Other projects include Title and Deed by Will Eno at Lookingglass Theatre Company; Laura Marks’ Bethany and Mine at The Gift Theatre; Catherine Treischmann’s Hot Georgia Sunday at Haven Theatre; Prowess by Ike Holter and The Peacock by Calamity West at Jackalope Theatre; Give It All Back by Calamity West and 9 Circles by Bill Cain at Sideshow Theatre Company. Marti is the Artistic Director of Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, an ensemble member at The Gift Theatre, an Artistic Associate with Sideshow Theatre Company, and a member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. martilyons.com.
(As of April 2022)
Dave Register was an original company member of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway and played Rodolpho in the Young Vic production of A View from the Bridge directed by Ivo van Hove at Center Theatre Group’s Ahmanson Theatre and The Kennedy Center. Other theatre credits include A Midsummer Night's Dream at Classic Stage Company, Lover I’ll Bring You Back To Life at Ars Nova, and Romeo and Juliet at Westport Country Playhouse. Television credits includes Madam Secretary, FBI, and Graves. Film credits include The Price, The Witch Files, and the upcoming lead in the feature film Heightened. He is the founding Artistic Director of the Portland Theatre Festival in his home state of Maine and has an MFA from Columbia University School of the Arts.
(As of March 2022)
Miranda Rizzolo (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based actor. New York theatre credits include Dream Hou$e at Ars Nova, Period Sisters at HERE Arts Center, and Resistance at The Wild Project, as well as readings at Cherry Lane Theatre, The Lark, the Davenport Theatre, and The Fire This Time Festival. Regional credits include Romeo and Juliet (Juliet) and The Servant of Two Masters at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, The Crucible at Olney Theatre Center, and Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley at Round House Theatre. She is a graduate of Yale University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, where she received her master’s degree on a Marshall Scholarship. mirandarizzolo.com. On social media @mirandarizzolo (Instagram).
(As of November 2021)
Deidre Staples (she/her) is an actor and playwright. Selected acting credits include: The Wolves at Studio Theatre (understudy); Daphne’s Dive at Signature Theatre; The Skin of Our Teeth at Everyman Theatre; Mysticism & Music at Constellation Theatre Company; and Twelfth Night, The Crucible, and Around the World in 80 Days with the National Players. She wrote and performed White-ish at the Atlas Intersections Festival and composed The Vanguard: The Musical with the Sankofa Theatre Collective. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Howard University. deidrestaples.com.
(As of February 2022)
Resa Mishina (she/her) was last seen at Studio Theatre as Ruki Minami in the US premiere of White Pearl. Favorite theatre credits include A Chorus Line at The Wick Theatre; Holiday Inn at The Fireside Theatre; A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Snow White at Connecticut Shakespeare Festival; You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Annie, 9 to 5, and The Music Man at Flat Rock Playhouse; and Miss Saigon at Interlakes Theatre. She can be heard in the radio play Br’er Peach with Alter Theater and was a principal dancer in The Crossing at The Kitchen. Resa is a proud native of Yokohama, Japan and earned her BFA in Musical Theatre from Rider University.
(As of March 2022)
Jordan Slattery (she/her) is a New York-based actor. Her most recent role was Kitty in Easy Women Smoking Loose Cigarettes at Signature Theatre. Other theater credits include The Consul, The Tramp and America’s Sweetheart at Best Medicine Rep and Medieval Storyland at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn. She has also appeared in the short films Groupie and Hardcore. Jordan has recently completed her MFA at George Washington University, where her roles included Anya in The Cherry Orchard and Autolycus in The Winter’s Tale. jordanpslattery.com. On social media at @jprdqn (Instagram).
(As of February 2022)
Ignacio Diaz-Silverio is an actor, born in Tampa, Florida to parents from Madrid, Spain. His New York theatre credits include Cherry Blossom Trees at Teatro LATEA. He’ll be making his feature film debut opposite Morgan Freeman and Florence Pugh in Zach Braff’s A Good Person and can also be seen on television in episodes of The Good Fight (Paramount+) and Suspicion (Apple TV+). Other upcoming credits include the short film Reckless, directed by Major Dorfman. He is represented by Carson-Adler Agency.
(As of March 2022)
Zachary Keller (he/him) is an actor, musician, and writer from the northwest suburbs of Chicago. His regional theatre credits include To Kill a Mockingbird at Steppenwolf Theatre, the new musical Hero and For the Boys at The Marriott Theatre, Over the Tavern at Peninsula Players, and And Then There Were None and Ragtime at Drury Lane Theatre. Zack had a recurring role on the first season of the CW series 4400 and has also guest starred in Shameless, Chicago Med, and Chicago Fire. He starred alongside Steve Guttenberg and Harry Lennix in the movie Alternate Universe: A Rescue Mission. He is a graduate of Ball State’s 2020 BFA Musical Theatre program. Zacharykelleractor.com. On social media at @zack_keller1 (Instagram).
(As of March 2022)
Lida Maria Benson is a bilingual Ukrainian-American actor and folk dancer. Recent theatre credits include The Assembly with Porte Parole (twice); Notes from the Basement at The Center at West Park; Draw Me Like One of Your French Girls at The PIT; Boy at Keegan Theatre; Dog Sees God at Prologue Theatre; What Every Girl Should Know and Dry Land at Forum Theatre; In This Hope: A Pericles Project with The Welders; Tribes at Vermont Stage; and Seminar at Middlebury Actors Workshop. She can also be seen in national commercials for Volkswagen, Wendy's, and more. As a Ukrainian folk dancer, she has choreographed and toured both nationally and internationally. She is an alumna of the University of Vermont and a native Washingtonian. www.lidabenson.com. On social media at @lidabenson (Instagram).
(As of March 2022)
Juliana Sass (Shelby) is an actress and writer based in New York. Her Off Broadway credits include Mac Beth at Hunter Theater Project and Julius Caesar at Theater for a New Audience. Her film credits include A Call to Spy, Radium Girls, and The Sisterhood of Night. She graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Comparative Literature and a minor in Theater, Dance and Media, and she studied at the British American Drama Academy and the Atlantic Acting School. julianasass.com.
(As of November 2021)
Shawn Denegre-Vaught is making his Studio Theatre and Washington, DC debut in John Proctor is the Villain. His film work includes Emerald, Texas; Blood Moon; Natural Causes; and Blind Love. Along with multiple commercials, Shawn’s television work includes What’s Up With Fred?, The Barney Show, and Three Women. Shawn currently lives in New York. He studied acting at The Theatre School at DePaul University and the USC School of Dramatic Arts.
(As of May 2022)
Mollie Greenberg is a DC-based actor and teaching artist. She has performed in Objects in Mirror May Be Spookier Than They Appear at the Alden Theatre, The Nutcracker at the Puppet Co. (also as an understudy), The Giver at Improv Playhouse Theater for Young Audiences in Chicago, and That's Fucked Up with monthly showcase The Apartment. She can be seen soon as a puppeteer in Little Red Riding Hood and the 3 Little Pigs at the Puppet Co. Mollie holds a BA from Kenyon College. molliegreenberg.com.
(As of March 2022)
Lauren Fraites (she/her) is a Richmond, VA native and 2020 graduate of the George Mason University School of Theater. This is Lauren's first production at Studio and her DC debut. Lauren has performed in the Sizzling Summer Nights cabaret series at Signature Theater. Television credits include The Spook Who Sat by the Door, Dopesick, and We Own this City. George Mason credits include Rags, Machinal, Our County is Good, and The Pillowman. She is on social media at @laurenfraites (Instagram).
(As of March 2022)
J. Bradley Bowers is an actor, musician, and data scientist. He is returning to professional theatre after a long hiatus, having previously appeared on Broadway in Disney’s Tarzan and Off Broadway in Crossing Brooklyn with Transport Group. Regionally, he has been seen in Measure for Measure with the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, Caroline, or Change at Baltimore Center Stage, and Leading Men of Broadway with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, among many others. He has also appeared in Singin’ in the Rain at Underhållningspatrullen in Kristianstad, Sweden.
(As of March 2022)
Bowen Fox (he/him) is a newcomer to the DC theatre scene, currently completing his graduate studies at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Academy for Classical Acting (ACA), run in conjunction with George Washington University. His theatre credits include Merchant of Venice (u/s) at Shakespeare Theatre Company, Much Ado About Nothing at ACA, Indian Summer, Red, and Peter and the Starcatcher at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), and Julius Caesar with the Savannah Classical Touring Company. Prior to moving to DC, he received his BFA from SCAD in Savannah, GA.
(As of March 2022)
Martha Epstein (she/her) is an actor based in New York City. She played Miss Julie in Miss Julie at the Chain Theatre. Other theatrical credits include Spirit Junkie at Wild Project and The Shoebox at The Connelly Theater. She is a graduate of Brown University. marthaepstein.com
(As of May 2022)
Tre’mon Kentrell Mills is a native of Blakely, Georgia. He believes that storytelling and creating art incites sociopolitical conversation; he wholeheartedly believes in the ability of art to bring forth social change. Noteworthy recent projects include playing the lead in P.Nokio and the original film 10 Seconds at Imagination Stage; A Raisin in the Sun, Mamma Mia!, and The Great Society at Lyric Repertory Theatre in Logan, Utah; and Black Nativity at Anacostia Playhouse. He is a graduate of Howard University's Theatre Arts program.
(As of March 2022)
Julia Souza (she/her) is a native Brazilian. This is her first production with Studio Theatre and her DC theatre debut. She recently played Logainne in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church. She recently served as the marketing intern at Signature Theatre, a teaching artist for Acting For Young People, and a director and Portuguese interpreter for 1,001 Plays at George Mason University. She has performed in RAGS, The Wolves, and Machinal with the School of Theater at George Mason University. On social media at @ju.lia.souza (Instagram).
(As of March 2022)
Luciana Stecconi’s previous designs for Studio Theatre include Kings, The Effect, Cloud 9, Hedda Gabler, Bad Jews, An Iliad, Lungs, The History of Kisses, In the Red and Brown Water, The Year of Magical Thinking, Amnesia Curiosa, Souvenir, Contractions, and Crestfall, among others. She has designed for Milwaukee Rep, Huntington Theatre Company, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Round House Theatre, Signature Theatre, The Kennedy Center (Theater for Young Audiences), Mosaic Theater Company, Theater J, Everyman Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Imagination Stage, and the Contemporary American Theatre Festival, as well as Georgetown University, Catholic University, and American University. She is an Assistant Professor in Scenic Design at Emerson College. Luciana holds an MFA in design from Brandeis University and is a member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829, IATSE.
(As of March 2022)
Moyenda Kulemeka (she/her) is a costume designer making her Studio Theatre debut. Some of her recent credits include Daphne’s Dive and Detroit '67 at Signature Theatre; The Phlebotomist and The Brothers Size at 1st Stage; A Chorus Within Her at Theater Alliance; Cinderella at Synetic Theater; Distance Frequencies: Transmission with Rorschach Theatre; Working, A Musical presented on Black Lives Matter Plaza; and La tía Julia y el escribidor and Exquisita Agonía at GALA Hispanic Theatre, as well as A Raisin in the Sun at Utah’s Caine Lyric Theatre. Her designs have also been featured at Mosaic Theater Company, Adventure Theatre MTC, and NextStop Theatre Company, among others. Moyenda holds a BA in Theatre from the University of Maryland and is a proud member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829, IATSE. Photos of her work can be found at www.moyendadesigns.com
(As of February 2022)
Jesse Belsky previously designed Pipeline, P.Y.G. or The Mis-Edumacation of Dorian Belle, The Remains, The Effect, Three Sisters, No Sisters, and Animal and co-designed White Noise at Studio. Regional credits include The Magic Play at Portland Center Stage, Syracuse Stage, and Actors Theatre of Louisville; Lydia and Rough Crossing at Yale Rep; and The Year of Magical Thinking at PlayMakers Repertory Company. Other DC designs include Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at Ford’s Theatre; JQA and The Year of Magical Thinking at Arena Stage; Oslo, Handbagged, and The Book of Will at Round House Theatre; The Mystery of Love & Sex at Signature Theatre; Henry IV, Part 1, The Winter’s Tale, Sense and Sensibility, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Folger Theatre; and Labour of Love, The Invisible Hand, and The Magic Play at Olney Theatre Center. Jesse holds a BA from Duke University and an MFA from the Yale School of Drama. He has taught lighting design at Connecticut College and UNC Greensboro. www.jessebelsky.com.
(As of February 2022)
Kathy Ruvuna is a New York-based sound designer originally from San Antonio, Texas. Recent credits include Sweat at The Alley Theatre; Pipeline, Cry It Out, and Radio Golf at Everyman Theatre; Good Faith at Yale Rep; Twelfth Night at Two River Theatre; Read to Me at Portland Stage; In the Southern Breeze and Ni Mi Madre at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater; Hands Up at National Black Theatre; Bernarda's Daughters at BRIC as part of BRIClab; and Circle Jerk and This American Wife with Fake Friends. She holds a BFA in Sound Design from The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University and an MFA in Sound Design from the Yale School of Drama.
(As of March 2022)
Chelsea Pace (she/her) is an intimacy choreographer, intimacy coordinator, and consultant. Following White Noise earlier this season, this is Chelsea's second show at Studio, where she also serves as the Resident Intimacy Consultant and Choreographer. Theatre credits include A Strange Loop currently running on Broadway; Help at The Shed; Bundle of Sticks at INTAR; RENT, Detroit '67, and Daphne's Dive at Signature Theatre; and A Strange Loop at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. She is Resident Intimacy Consultant and Choreographer at Signature Theatre and Resident Intimacy Consultant at Woolly Mammoth. Chelsea’s intimacy coordination work for TV and film includes The Tender Bar and Harlem, and the forthcoming series A League of Their Own and The Best Man: The Final Chapters. Chelsea is the co-founder of Theatrical Intimacy Education and the author of Staging Sex: Best Practices, Tools, and Techniques for Theatrical Intimacy. In 2021, she received the Kennedy Center Gold Medallion for her work in intimacy choreography and building consent-based pedagogies. chelseapace.com
(As of March 2022)
Adrien-Alice Hansel (she/her) is the Literary Director at Studio, where she has dramaturged the world premieres of I Hate it Here, Queen of Basel, The Remains, No Sisters, I Wanna Fucking Tear You Apart, Animal, Red Speedo, Dirt, Lungs, and The History of Kisses, as well as productions of Tender Age, Flow, Until the Flood, 2.5 Minute Ride, Cry It Out, Translations, Curve of Departure, The Effect, Wig Out!, Straight White Men, Cloud 9, Hedda Gabler, Constellations, Jumpers for Goalposts, Bad Jews (twice), The Apple Family Plays, Invisible Man, Sucker Punch, The Golden Dragon, and The New Electric Ballroom, among others. Prior to joining Studio, she spent eight seasons at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, where she headed the literary department and coordinated project scouting, selection, and development for the Humana Festival of New American Plays. She is the co-editor of eight anthologies of plays from Actors Theatre and editor of 10 editions of plays through Studio. Adrien-Alice holds an MFA from the Yale School of Drama.
(As of August 2021)
Deb Thomas (Props Designer) is a props and set designer for theatre, television, and film. From 2009 to 2019, she was Studio Theatre’s Props Director. Her work at Studio includes Pass Over, Love! Valor! Compassion!, Sylvia, Suburbia, Slavs! (properties design), and set design for Terminus. Freelance work includes properties design for Private, Marys Seacole, Eureka Day, and Milk Like Sugar at Mosaic Theater Company, and The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife and Freud’s Last Session at Theater J. She is currently working as a production designer for a historical documentary set in 1947-1953. She was sculptor and sculpture consultant for TLC’s DC Cupcakes (2011-2013); Washington Bureau set design for TV Tokyo; and Natty G pilot set design for National Geographic. In addition to working for all national networks, her work includes production design for PBS American Experience Dolley Madison, art direction for PBS American Experience Alexander Hamilton, and set and props design for Discovery Channel's Moments in Time Jamestown: Against All Odds.
(As of March 2022)
Nancy Krebs' (Dialect/Vocal Coach) credits with Studio Theatre include Kings, The Children, Translations, Constellations, Animal, The Habit of Art, The Walworth Farce, The New Electric Ballroom, and Look Back in Anger. She is the Resident Vocal/Dialect Coach with the Classic Theatre of Maryland; representative productions include Cabaret, The 39 Steps, Hamlet, The Winter's Tale, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Oliver!, A Christmas Carol, Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest, Richard III, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Three Sisters, It's a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play, Sense and Sensibility, A Tale of Two Cities, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Pride and Prejudice, Our Town, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Macbeth. She has also worked with other regional theatres including Theater J, Olney Theatre Center, Rep Stage, Everyman Theatre, and Baltimore Center Stage. Nancy teaches privately and internationally, operating her own voice studio— The Voiceworks—and is an accomplished singer/songwriter/musician. www.nancykrebs.com.
(As of March 2022)
Madison Bahr’s (she/her) Studio Theatre productions include White Pearl, Queen of Basel, The Remains, Murder Ballad, Chimerica, and Torch Song Trilogy. Other regional credits include Cabaret at Olney Theatre Center; Daphne’s Dive, Gun & Powder, and Billy Elliot: The Musical at Signature Theatre; Charlotte’s Web and The Little Mermaid at Imagination Stage; Kiss and Guards at the Taj at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company; Becoming Dr. Ruth and Our Suburb at Theater J; ReEntry, Next Fall, and Glengarry Glen Ross at Round House Theatre; and In the Heart of America at Rep Stage. Madison holds a BA in Theatre with a focus in Stage Management from the University of Maryland, College Park.
(As of March 2022)
Stephen Bubniak (he/him) has previously worked on Queen of Basel, Kings, and The Effect at Studio Theatre. Other regional credits include Change Agent, Celia and Fidel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Newsies, Jitney, and Dear Jack, Dear Louise, as well as additional events at Arena Stage; A Wind in the Door and additional events at The Kennedy Center (Theater for Young Audiences); White Snake and The Caucasian Chalk Circle at Constellation Theatre; and Love and Information, Building the Wall, Dry Land, and What Every Girl Should Know at Forum Theatre, as well as Rock N’ Roll Man and Shrek The Musical at Berkshire Theatre Group in Massachusetts. He graduated with a double major in Computer Science and Theatre (Design/Production) from American University.
(As of February 2022)
Mitchell Cronin (he/him) is a graduating MFA candidate at the University of Maryland and has collaborated as an Assistant/Associate Designer with companies such as the Houston Ballet, Houston Grand Opera, The Ensemble Theatre, and Stages Repertory Theatre. His own work spans over 100 designs including: Corduroy at Imagination Stage; Tommy Tune Awards 2019 at Theatre Under The Stars; Panto Cinderella, Panto Wonderful Wizard, and Panto Snow Queen: Unfrozen at Stages Repertory Theatre; Josephine Tonight, Eighth Day of The Week, Sistas, Simply Simone, The First Noel, A Soulful Christmas at The Ensemble Theatre; Curse of the Starving Class and Small Ball at Catastrophic Theatre Company; and others, including productions with Prague Shakespeare Company, Main Street Theater, Classical Theatre Company, A.D. Players, and Prohibition Theatre. His designs have been recognized with regional awards from The Houston Press, The Ensemble Theatre, and Broadway World. www.JMCdesigns.info. On social media at @Mitchellights (Instagram).
(As of March 2022)
Bebe Lamonica is a costume designer based in Washington DC. Bebe brings stories and characters to life through her sharp fashion sense and deep love for the art of costuming. Credits include Poetry for the People: A June Jordan Experience at Theater Alliance (Costume Designer), and Assistant Costume Designer for The Phlebotomist at 1st Stage, Daphne's Dive at Signature Theatre, and A Chorus Within Her at Theater Alliance.
(As of March 2022)
The Telsey Office has offices in both New York and Los Angeles, casting for theatre, film, television, and commercials. The Telsey Office is dedicated to creating safe, equitable, and anti-racist spaces through collaboration, artistry, heart, accountability, and advocacy.
(As of February 2022)
