There’s a lot going on in the world. Our lives are inundated with political news, natural disasters, and whatever tomorrow holds for TikTok. 

But for a moment, stop and think of all that is on the minds of our teens who are living in an age of social media, political upheaval, and the everyday problem of just growing up and going to high school. 

The Purdue University Fort Wayne Department of Theatre has taken a deep dive into the complicated lives of teens in their current production, John Proctor Is the Villain, playing through March 1 at Williams Theatre.

In the production, a high school class explores Arthur Miller’s seminal American classic, The Crucible. As scandal swirls in their community and old heroes are unmasked, the English assignment becomes uncomfortably relevant and lines between witch and heroine are blurred.

Heavy subject

The play is very obviously set in a small town with seemingly small-town values. 

Purity and abstinence are openly discussed among the students, but what takes center stage are the discussions of feminism, sexual promiscuity, and sexual assault. 

The core of the cast is a group of girls: Raelynn (Callie McKinney), Ivy (Athena Robinette), Beth (Madison Morgan), Nell (Tailor Grant), and Shelby (Michaela Mooney). 

The script delves into deep issues that have come from the #MeToo era, issues of consent and mental health, and the effects that the modern day “witch hunts” have on the families of the accused. 

The play is rated PG-13 and contains sexually frank conversation and strong language.

The scene is impeccably set by scenic designer and PFW grad Abby Wicker. The stage is a perfect look into every high school English classroom; from the stereotypical literature posters and reading corner to the linoleum floor, not a detail is missed.

Perfect chemistry

Inhabiting the classroom is literature teacher Carter Smith, played by Caleb Curtis. 

Curtis effortlessly embodies the cool high school teacher, reminiscent of Glee’s Will Schuster or Jonathan Turner from Boy Meets World. He is light and funny and definitely gives the vibe of the teacher who wants to be your best friend. But after an accusation is made, Curtis’ manner shifts, and what was once interpreted as cheesy teacher affirmations becomes something more slimy and sinister. The shift is impeccable, and the tension he creates in these scenes is palpable.

As mentioned earlier, the core of the cast are the five girls at the center of the story, and their chemistry is excellent. Their scenes together are effortless. It is as though you were peeking into their most intimate conversations happening in real time. Each young woman gets her time to shine, and has her own unique strengths and when combined, they truly bring the story alive.

Beth is every people-pleasing girl in high school: chipper, overachieving and naive. Morgan brings so much depth to what could have been a relatively shallow role. From the onset, we see Beth striving to impress Mr. Smith, to be the best and brightest, and in these moments Morgan is bright bubbly perfection. However, when Beth meets up with conflict that she doesn’t quite know how to handle, Morgan’s change to awkward hesitance in these difficult moments is masterfully portrayed.

Robinette plays Beth’s best friend Ivy who undergoes a huge upheaval in her family after accusations are brought against her father. Robinette handles the steamroller of emotions impeccably. It is easy to empathize with the struggles that Ivy deals with as Robinette’s body language shows the weight of the situation that her family finds themselves in.

When we first meet Raelynn, we learn that she is the daughter of the town pastor, but the good-girl facade is long gone. McKinney flawlessly navigates the many highs and lows Raelynn struggles with — her emotions reach significant peaks of anger, and emotional tears as well.

Where Raelynn’s arc is emotional, Nell’s is more static. This does not however mean that Grant’s performance is lackluster. On the contrary, Grant brings excellent timing to Nell’s many one-liners and sets up many laughs. Grant also does a great job differentiating her big-city character from her country bumpkin counterparts; her attitude is spicy and sharply delivered. 

Finally there is Mooney as Shelby. Mooney has a huge emotional load to carry in the production and masterfully handles it. Her sarcastic comments are snappy, her anger simmers until its pinnacle outburst at the play’s climax when it erupts with astonishing force. Following the somewhat cathartic moment, Mooney and McKinney have some incredibly charged conversations and even end with a fit of giggles. Through all of these things, her emotion is clear both in her movements and on her face.

Masterful adaptation

The challenging material is handled with great success. 

There is an inherent feminist undertone to the script that could have easily been overindulged. However, director Mark Ridgeway has done an impressive job guiding the cast through a minefield of difficult topics. Great care is taken by the playwright and the director to show the parts of the #MeToo movement that are often overlooked: the ways the community and families are impacted. 

The production is thought-provoking and a great conversation starter. 

It’s a refreshing look at a difficult topic that is performed superbly.