Time: Spring 1692
Place: Salem, Massachusetts
ACT ONE
Prologue: The woods of Salem.
Scene 1: A bedroom in Reverend Samuel Parris' house.
Scene 2: The common room of the Proctor house, eight days later.
15-minute intermission
ACT TWO
Scene 1: The woods of Salem.
Scene 2: The Salem Meeting House, two weeks later.
Scene 3: A cell in Salem jail, three months later.
Synopsis
There are strange happenings in the town of Salem. Betty Parris lies sick, as though in a trance. Samuel Parris, the town minister, calls in witchcraft expert Reverend Hale to investigate. Abigail Williams, niece of Reverend Parris, makes accusations about women in the town and the madness begins.
John Proctor and his wife, Elizabeth, discuss what is going on in Salem. Elizabeth urges John to tell the court what Abigail told him: that she is lying. John hesitates which prompts Elizabeth to question John about his relationship with Abigail. Cheever shows up at their house and arrests Elizabeth for witchcraft.
Proctor gets Mary Warren, his servant and one of the original accusers, to speak out against Abigail and the other girls. In court, Mary admits to lying and Proctor admits to his affair with Abigail, hoping that his honesty will give him some credibility. But they're no match for Abigail who accuses them of witchcraft and gets Proctor thrown in jail.
In the final moments of his life, Proctor wrestles with whether or not to save his life, but damn his soul.
