Two Minutes' Traffic: John Proctor is the Villain, Studio Theatre

After Studio Theatre's wonderful production of Sarah DeLappe's The Wolves in 2018, it's a distinct pleasure to see director Marti Lyons back at the helm for another play diving into the fast-moving, ever-changing, funny and fierce world of teenage girls. Kimberly Belflower's John Proctor Is the Villain is a #MeToo play, but it's also a play about how the entire process of growing up is about how we (and our choices) evolve as circumstances change.  Lyons's cast is excellent, with Jordan Slattery and Juliana Sass doing standout work as Raelynn and Shelby, whose recently shattered friendship forms much of the heart of the play. Luciana Stecconi's set design is both a pitch-perfect contemporary high school classroom, while being a perfect and changeable canvas for the entire action of the play, while Moyenda Kulemeka's costumes are pitch-perfect for students and teachers alike.

Sometimes there are plays that I can't recommend, or productions that I want people to see because they get some things right and other things so desperately wrong that I need to talk about it with someone else. John Proctor Is the Villain is a play that's firing on all cylinders, the kind of production where you walk out and think, "What a good play." If you're me, you put that up on Twitter with some added expletives for flavor, because if you can make it, you need to see this play.

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