JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN to Make West Coast Debut at A.C.T.

American Conservatory Theater has revealed the cast and creative team for the West Coast premiere of Kimberly Belflower's John Proctor Is the Villain, the electrifying coming-of-age play. Directed by Jess McLeod, John Proctor Is the Villain will perform at A.C.T.'s Toni Rembe Theater beginning Thursday, November 12 and running through Sunday, December 6, 2026.

In a one-stoplight town in Georgia, in a high school AP English class, five young women begin questioning the stories and the heroes they've been taught to believe in, against a soundtrack of pop music and fury. As their class dissects a canonical work of literature, the parallels between the play and their own lives become uncomfortably real, and they begin to re-examine who we deem heroic, who we call a villain, and who gets burned in the process.

Centering young voices with humor, passion, and an unapologetically contemporary perspective, John Proctor Is the Villain turns the lens of an American classic onto a new generation coming to terms with power, consent, friendship, and the stories society chooses to tell. In a bold artistic collaboration, three of the nation's leading regional theaters—American Conservatory Theater, Seattle Rep, and Center Theatre Group—join forces to bring Kimberly Belflower's explosive coming-of-age story to the West Coast.

John Proctor Is the Villain made its Broadway debut at the Booth Theatre in 2025, where its acclaimed run was extended three times. The production received seven Tony Award nominations, including Best Play, and also received the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Broadway Play. Following its San Francisco engagement, this new production will travel to Seattle Repertory Theater and Center Theatre Group's Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.

The cast of John Proctor Is the Villain includes (in alphabetical order): Ameer Ali (Mason Adams), Stevie Allen (Ivy Watkins), Lilla Crawford (Shelby Holcomb), Varinique “V” Davis (Nell Shaw), Olivia Finkelstein (Beth Powell), Kyle Harris (Carter Smith), Mario Houle (Lee Turner), Kaylee Kaneshiro (Raelynn Nix), and Erika Vetter (Bailey Gallagher). Understudies include Emma Gardner, Adam Magill, Allie Pratt, Nicholas René Rodriguez, and Sharon Shao.

The creative team for John Proctor Is the Villain includes Kimberly Belflower (Playwright), Jess McLeod (Director), Leigh Rondon-Davis (Associate Director), Kate Noll (Scenic Designer), Eunice Jera Lee (Costume Designer), Robert J. Aguilar (Lighting Designer), Jeff Gardner (Sound Designer), Melissa Y. Hamasaki (Stage Manager), Megan McClintock (Assistant Stage Manager), Joy Meads (Dramaturg), and Henry Russell Bergstein, CSA and Lori Erickson, CSA, Austin Riffelmacher, and Shawna Grajek (Casting).

In connection with John Proctor Is the Villain, A.C.T. will offer numerous InterACT events—many presented free of charge—that give patrons opportunities to get closer to the work and artists. Visit act-sf.org/interact for additional information.

Teacher Preview:

Thursday, November 12, 7:30 p.m.
Hosted pre-show drinks and snacks and a workshop designed to help educators prepare students for the production.

Post-Show Conversations:

Tuesday, November 24, 6:30 p.m. | Wednesday, November 25, 2 p.m. | Sunday, November 29, 1 p.m.
Following the performance, audiences are invited to a thought-provoking Q&A with members of the artistic team and/or cast.

Tasting Night:

Tuesday, December 1, 6:30 p.m.
Meet fellow theatergoers and get to know one of A.C.T.'s local vendors at this hosted event before the show.

Pride Night:

Wednesday, December 2, 7:30 p.m.
Mix and mingle at an LGBTQ+ themed party before the performance.

PlayTime:

Saturday, December 5, 2 p.m.
Get hands-on with theater games and skills at this interactive pre-show workshop.