Witch  by Jen Silverman Directed by Rudy Ramirez Feb. 25, March 3, 4, 5 at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 26 at 2 p.m In the Rand Theater, located in the Randolph W. Bromery Center for the Arts at UMass Tickets sold through the Fine Arts Center Box Office and  at the door. Prices: $15 general admission, $5 youth, students, and seniors Content Advisory: Strong language, violence, and blood Would you dance with the Devil? UMass Theater’s Witch examines the cost of our choices and the value of hanging on to hope.

When the Devil strolls into the town of Edmonton to bargain for people’s souls, he figures that Elizabeth Sawyer, an accused witch, will be an easy mark. Turns out, he’s wrong — while others in town are practically lining up to make bargains galore, she resists. Find out what happens next when UMass Theater presents Jen Silverman’s topical-and-funny play, Witch, directed by directing graduate student Rudy Ramirez in the Rand Theater Feb. 25-March 5. “Witch captures several of the big existential questions we’ve been grappling with throughout the events of the pandemic with heart and tons of humor, empowering us to face our own devils — and perhaps even to laugh at them,” said dramaturgy graduate student Percy Hornak, who is the play’s dramaturg. Inspired by a Jacobean play that was in turn inspired by real events, UMass Theater’s production of Witch filters the story through a funhouse lens — watch for a surreal set complete with working drawbridge and props that accentuate the humor in Silverman’s writing — that invites current audiences to see how the themes of the tale overlap with concerns in our own world. Why do the characters in Witch even consider a dance with the Devil?  As Hornak encapsulates it, there are some big questions being asked: “The notion of ‘burn it all down’: The play is asking us to think about what that means, and what it would cost for us to do that. What would you give up for things to be better?” Inextricably linked to these questions are themes of power, agency, and above all, hope. Why think about what it would take to create a better future, without hope? Witch invites audiences to come up with their answer while they watch. Get your tickets today! Tickets can be purchased through the Fine Arts Center Box Office (click here to go directly to our events) or at the door before each performance.