Decatur High play uncovers horror and humor in history

Over the course of American history, certain acts of speech have held the power to incite panic, riots and deathly mobs like shouting “fire” in a crowded theater or accusing your neighbor of being a “witch.”

Decatur High School takes a silly yet sobering look at the American right to free speech through revisiting the Salem witch trials in their production of Witches!? In Salem?!,a new play by Matt Cox that made its New York City debut in early 2024. Uproar Theatrics which licensed the play to Decatur High School describes it as “a darkly comedic, yet (mostly) historically accurate take on the Salem witch trials and all the (mostly) historically accurate horrors which may occur when populism runs rampant, injustice is a day-to-day occurrence and a religious minority sets the laws of the land. You know, old-timey problems.”

While the 26-member cast may be donning breeches and bonnets, the old-fashionedness of the plot and dialogue ends there. The story of an anxious society unsure of its future, the legitimacy of its laws and the trustworthiness of its leaders resonates today with our polarizing political climate, internet echo-chambers and call-out culture that sows suspicion among neighbors and makes it easier for ideologies to spread.

The production is directed by Emily Nichols, who began as Decatur High School’s acting teacher in August. In her editor’s note, she described the play as exploring “themes of justice, hysteria, and the power of belief,” and quoted the opening monologue which says that “the most frightening thing of all is that everything you are about to witness is true!” DHS junior, Evelyn Galenkamp, who acted on stage and as assistant director, described the difficult balance in striking the right tone: "I think the use of a mixture of comedy and drama is really important to this show. We make a comedy out of a serious event, but we also use these interspersed sections of emotional scenes to convey that it’s all not just fun in jokes, but a real topic of hurt."

“This play was certainly ‘edutainment’” said Terra McVoy, an Avondale Estate resident, who says she has enjoyed theater performances at Decatur High School despite not having kids who went through the school system. “Their theater program does a great job of choosing plays that are fun, enjoyable and great for kids to do, but also very appropriately timed,” said McVoy. Having acted in a college production of The Crucible by Arthur Miller—one of the sources for Cox’s parody, McVoy was familiar with the material of the play but said she learned some new facts from the plot which is deftly guided by the character of 8th grader, Jenny Ann Bishop, played by DHS senior, Ida Chapman, who narrates the story like a class presentation with a smartboard and even smarter asides.

The modern-day Bishop shares a surname with the historical character of Bridget Bishop (played by DHS senior, Jovi Downs) who was the first woman to be accused of witchcraft by the 12-year-old Abigail Williams (played by Sidra Bennett and her gaggle of guileful girls (Arden Aczel, Jinx Meredith, and Talia Schmoll). Jenny Ann's narration is not the only fictional addition to the story of murder, mayhem and meddlesome minors. There is plenty of magical realism and comic relief in the form of Salem’s “true witches,” The Bloodkravens, played by Shewen McClendon and Galenkamp, who cackle their way to course-correct history.

In a monologue that crackles with pop culture references that blur the lines between their time and ours, the accused and murdered Bridget Bishop even gets a chance at post-humous exoneration as she ponders the looming legacy of witches, including the “sexy variety” that come out only on Halloween, in an America more than three hundred years after her execution in which Sony has announced a Bewitched reboot and Hocus Pocus 2 exploded viewership on Disney+.

“The whole time, I kept thinking, ‘We’re not going back!’” said Decatur resident, Susan Wietsma, who also attended the show as a curious community member not due to familial ties: “It’s a great play for October, but it’s also fun to laugh at the absurdity. The play is kind of quirky and farcical, but it makes you think because it was a terrible time in our history too,” she said. “They did a great job of balancing both the history and the humor,” Wietsma added: “I’m always impressed with the productions at Decatur High School. These are super-talented kids demonstrated through the acting, directing, lighting and the sound.”

The play which opened at 7pm on Wednesday, October 16 and runs through October 20 has performances on Thursday at 7pm and Saturday at 7:30pm and a matinee at 2pm on Sunday, October 20. The run-time is about 2 hours and 30 minutes with a 15-minute intermission when patrons are invited to partake of candy, witch cakes and spooky mocktails. Tickets are available at decaturperforms.org. Decatur Performs is a 501(C) 3 non-profit that helps to foster a new generation of performing artists by providing exemplary choral, drama, tech and musical theater programs at Decatur High School and Beacon Hill Middle School. Donate through their website: decaturperforms.org.