Critic's Pick — Nashville Rep: 'John Proctor Is the Villain'

For more than 70 years, the character of John Proctor (from Arthur Miller’s classic drama The Crucible) has been presented as the ultimate tragic hero — a principled man who would rather die than compromise his integrity. But Kimberly Belflower’s Tony-nominated play John Proctor Is the Villain — which opens at Nashville Rep this weekend — offers a decidedly different perspective. Set in small-town Georgia, this sharp dramatic comedy follows a group of high school students as they study The Crucible — reconsidering Proctor through a modern feminist lens. Nashville Rep favorite Lauren Shouse (POTUS, The Cake, Avenue Q) directs a solid ensemble here, with New York-based actor Lucas Calhoun, along with Norah Younger, Aubrey Bagley, Brityn Ramsey, Ella Saliba, Advika Ravishankar, Lorenzo Rivera, Brent Bentley and McKenna Steel. As you might expect, John Proctor Is the Villain does dig into some sensitive content, including depictions of grooming, abusive relationships and descriptions of sexual assault. But it’s sure to spark plenty of conversation. Blending timely themes with biting humor, it’s a terrific way to open the Rep’s 42nd season.

Through Oct. 18 at TPAC’s Andrew Johnson Theater

505 Deaderick St.