Goody - The Witch of Eastham
a reading of a play by Margaret Van Sant
Music by Clyde Shelby Mellert
Directed by John Shuman
Dramaturge: Marjorie Duffield
Healer or Harlot? A new musical take on the legend of Goody Hallett.
Set against the backdrop of the stormy New England coast, Goody Hallett: The Witch of Eastham tells the story of a young woman's struggle against the rigid confines of Puritan society. Goody Hallett, a healer and free spirit, finds herself at odds with her community as rumors of witchcraft begin to swirl. With her lover lost at sea and a minister determined to root out sin at any cost, Goody must navigate a treacherous path of superstition and suspicion. This powerful play explores themes of love, autonomy, and the fight against societal oppression.
Reading Schedule:
Sun., Oct. 6 at 7pm
WOMR •494 Commercial Street, Provincetown, MA 02657Mon., Oct. 14 at 7pm (Indigenous People’s Day)
WOMR •494 Commercial St, Provincetown, MA 02657
Tickets:
$20 General admission
$10 Students (with valid ID)
$10 for Card to Culture members (with valid ID)
$40 Festival Pass - one pass to gain entry for all readings and events.
Important Note:
After purchasing a Festival Pass on a particular show page, pass holders will not need to visit the ticketing pages for the other plays they may wish to attend. Just show up at the door before the event. We will reserve enough chairs to accommodate people with passes.)Tickets may be purchased online or at the door.
Actors / Characters
Goody Hallett – Missy Potash
Mary Hallett, Goody’s Mother – Lynda Sturner
John Hallett, Goody’s father – Clyde Shelby
Martha Hallett, Goody’s aunt – Jadah Carroll
Sam Bellamy, sea captain – Wil Moser
Cotton Mather – Glenn Starner-Tate
Jediah Willard – John Shuman
Caleb Snow – (To be announced)
Bosun Paine – Bill Salem
Giles Jacob - (To be announced)
Constable Smith – Glenn Starner-Tate
Responder Williams – Patrick Riviere
Prissy - Jane MacDonald
About the Play
In 1692 the first witch trials begin in Salem, MA and all of the New England colonies are beset with paranoia, hysteria, and a profound mistrust of what seems out of the norm. In Eastham, on the Outer Cape, sailing ships land for provisions and rest, bringing kind strangers or notorious seamen from other lands. The church wants to drive as far as it can into the new world and control their flocks with fear and pillage their bounty. These forces all meet and clash in the Hallett Tavern, where the story of Goody takes place.
About the Workshop
The O’Neill Festival of New Works offers a rare opportunity for dramatists to work with dramaturges in preparation for each festival’s staged readings. In this case the dramaturge is Dan Lombardo. Dan has worked on over 100 productions at Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, as dramaturg, as a director, as director of the WHAT Lab, and finally as the Artistic Director for the company.