Dear Friends of KCRep,
Welcome to John Proctor Is the Villain.
The title alone is a provocation.
For generations, John Proctor has been taught as one of the great tragic heroes of the American theatre. Kimberly Belflower’s remarkable play asks us to look again — not only at Proctor, but at the stories we inherit, the men we are taught to admire, and the voices those stories have pushed to the margins.
Set in a high school classroom studying Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, this funny, moving, and fiercely contemporary play asks uncomfortable questions: Who gets to be complicated? Who gets forgiven? Who gets believed? And how often have we mistaken power, charisma, or suffering for heroism?
I’m especially happy to welcome Laura Alcalá Baker back to KCRep. Laura last directed this spring’s hit family comedy, One of the Good Ones, and I loved the warmth, humor, and deep humanity she brought to that production. I’m thrilled to have her back leading this extraordinary company.
What excites me most about this play are the young women at its center. They refuse to accept the story as it has been handed to them. They argue with it. They dismantle it. And, in doing so, they begin to understand the power of naming their own experience.
We urgently need those voices.
At a moment when young women are still so often doubted, spoken over, legislated for, and told to accommodate the comfort of others, this play insists that we listen.
I hope KCRep can always be a place where no story is above questioning, where the canon can be challenged, and where a new generation has the freedom to say: “Maybe we have been telling this story wrong.”
Thank you for being here.
— Stuart Carden, Artistic Director
Q&A with Amari Lewis
Interview by JANA LILES, Director of Marketing & Communications
From Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz to Chrystal in Little Shop of Horrors and Squeak in The Color Purple, Amari Lewis has brought tremendous talent to the KCRep stage. Now, she takes on a very different role as Nell in John Proctor is the Villain, a striking story about friendship, power, and finding your own voice. We caught up with Amari to talk about her KCRep journey, stepping into Nell’s world, and what she hopes audiences will discover along the way.
Q: You’ve played three very different characters at KCRep. What has each of those women taught you as an actor, and how do you see those experiences shaping the way you’re approaching Nell in John Proctor is the Villain?
A: As an actor at KCRep, I’ve learned that I work best through the lens of discovery. I approach this work through the wondrous eyes of Dorothy, the grit of Chrystal, and the passionate expression of Squeak. I see these experiences grounding me in creating Nell. Those women have taught me the courage of fully being myself in the work room in order to fully be able to understand and help bring them to life and each time I’m so honored to tell their stories.
Q: Nell is part of a group of high school girls who are wrestling with some pretty big questions about power, relationships, and what they’ve been taught to believe. What draws you to her? Is there something about Nell that you immediately connected with?
A: What draws me to Nell is how much I can relate to her. Her newness to her school and being the only black kid in school reminds me of when I was one of the only black girls in theatre spaces growing up. She also reminds me of the core values that were instilled in me as a child by my own parents. When I see an injustice, I absolutely have to say something. I have to be a friend to the friendless because nobody deserves to be alone.
Q: When you’re handed a new role, where do you begin? What’s your process for getting inside a character and figuring out who they are?
A: I absolutely put my nose into the script and use all the context possible to put an entire person together. Then, when I’m on stage, I’m in the story experiencing everything around me for the first time. Then, when we bow at the end of the show it’s almost as if the character resets and will be birthed again when the curtain rises the following day.
Q: One of the things that makes John Proctor is the Villain so interesting is the way the girls’ perspectives begin to shift as they learn more about the stories they’ve been told. Without giving anything away, what do you hope audiences, especially young people, will recognize in Nell’s journey?
A: I hope they recognize that it’s okay to stand tall in your own values while also still figuring yourself out (because we all are). If you know something is wrong, don’t be afraid to call it out and set a boundary. Even if it means you’re the only one standing up at all. I think it’s better to be true to yourself and what you truly believe in than to follow behind someone else just to fit in and be “accepted”.
Q: What’s next for you and how can our patrons follow along?
A: Next up for me is playing Piggie in The Pigeon Gets A Big Time Holiday Extravaganza with our friends over at The Coterie Theatre! You can follow along on my socials: @Lewiii17 on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, and “Amari Lewis” on Facebook.
