Kimberly Belflower's 'John Proctor Is the Villain' Set to Be Most Produced Play of 2026/2027 Season
John Proctor Is the Villain by Kimberly Belflower, which premiered on Broadway last year, is now being performed by regional theaters and is expected to be the most frequently staged play in the 2026/2027 season. Set in a small Georgia town with only one traffic light in 2018, this two-hour drama depicts high school girls advocating for a Feminism Club to boost their college applications and engage with the #MeToo movement. Initially, guidance counselor Miss Gallagher (Elaine Elizabeth) opposes the club, but English teacher Mr. Carter Smith (Shane Kenyon) ultimately agrees to take on the role of advisor. The Kansas City Repertory Theatre's rendition, directed by Laura Alcalá Baker, will be shown at the Copaken Stage until October 25.
Key facts
- John Proctor Is the Villain is projected to be the most produced play of the 2026/2027 season
- Kimberly Belflower's play had a Broadway run last year before expanding to regional theaters
- The play is set in 2018 in a one-stoplight Georgia town and runs two hours
- Kansas City Repertory Theatre's production is directed by Laura Alcalá Baker
- The KCRep run continues through October 25 at the Copaken Stage, 1 H&R Block Way
- The plot follows a Feminism Club petition and a class reading of Arthur Miller's The Crucible
- Shelby, played by Mizha Lee Overn, argues that John Proctor is a villain rather than a hero
- Design credits include Eleanor Kahn's set, Mario Raymond's lights and Paul Kim's costumes
Entities
Artists
- Kimberly Belflower
- Amari Lewis
- Jo Pellow
- Lilly Gerend
- Avery Moss
- Elaine Elizabeth
- Shane Kenyon
- Mizha Lee Overn
- Sam Moore
- Sheridan
- Eleanor Kahn
- Mario Raymond
- Paul Kim
- Laura Alcalá Baker
- Arthur Miller
- Harvey Weinstein
- Taylor Swift
Institutions
- Kansas City Repertory Theatre
- Copaken Stage
Locations
- Georgia
- Atlanta
- Kansas City
- United States