Last week, my family and I saw “John Proctor Is the Villain” on Broadway, on the recommendation of a client.
It’s fantastic. As I was walking up the aisle to exit the theater, I thought, “I’d see that play again tomorrow.”
I loved it for many reasons, but one of my favorite aspects of the play is the way it centers on a class of high school students reading and debating Arthur Miller’s 1953 play, “The Crucible.”
When you love the arts like I do, your life can sometimes feel like a journey through the work of an author or artist.
I first read “The Crucible” in high school, where I learned about the Salem Witch Trials and how Arthur Miller used that time in American history to comment on Joseph McCarthy and the Red Scare of the 1950s.
Then I read the play again in college, diving deeper into the story and craft.
Then I saw its first revival on Broadway in 2002 starring Liam Neeson and Laura Linney.
I sat beside actress Nastassja Kinski.
After seeing the revival, I found the play in my local library and read it again on my own
Twenty-three years later, I saw “John Proctor Is the Villain.”
I sat beside Charlie.
Suddenly, a play that I thought I understood for more than thirty years seemed entirely new to me. A window was opened, and I saw the characters and plot in a whole new way.
I feel like I’ve been in a lifelong conversation with Arthur Miller and this play, and each time, I see things from a different perspective. The play gets more interesting. Its depth and breadth expand. It raises new and more challenging questions.
This is the joy of engaging with art throughout your lifetime.
As you evolve, it, too, evolves, and can sometimes become new again.
