by Jeannie Marlin Woods
As autumn fills the air, The Rep brings to the stage BECKY NURSE OF SALEM. This complex, helter-skelter play is a good fit for the season as we rush towards Halloween. Witches are everywhere in yards and home décor. Fear and darkness are embraced for amusement. So, when a playwright as ingenious as Sarah Ruhl dives into the tales of the Salem witch trials you can expect a wild ride. In that regard, this dark comedy at the Rep certainly delivers.
According to the excellent “afterword” provided in the program, Ruhl set out to write a play set in Salem to set the record straight on what happened in the witch trials of 1692. The playwright is working on multiple levels here. She sets her play in 2016 in Salem, with imaginary or hallucinatory scenes that take us back to 1692. In her complicated story, Ruhl argues that our main reference point for the trials, Arthur Miller’s play THE CRUCIBLE, is more fiction than fact and should not be revered or a staple of high school drama departments. She also takes on the idea of modern witch hunts in the Trump era, saying “Not since the burning of witches in Europe has the iconography of witchery been used with such base hypocrisy and to such effect.” Additionally, Ruhl makes the opioid crisis in the U.S. (specifically Massachusetts) a key element of her story. She has done her homework and provides a fascinating view and a lot of food for thought. It is advisable to get to the theatre early enough to read that essay before seeing the play because it helps explain her approach to the script.
The plot centers around Becky, a 62-year-old woman who is a descendent of the real Rebecca Nurse who was hung for witchcraft in 1692. Becky is a tour guide at a museum in Salem. A single woman, raising her 15-year-old granddaughter on her own, and addicted to opioids because of pain from a medical condition, her life is a mess. Then it gets worse. Bored and offended by the presentations of history, she manages to get fired. Fortunately, she has Bob, a sweet man who runs a small local tavern. They had been childhood sweethearts but they both married other people. Becky’s desperation drives her to consulting a witch and her life spirals out of control.
Sarah Ruhl’s “Becky Nurse of Salem”, directed by Margaret E. Hall, at Capital Repertory Theatre. 
Sarah Ruhl’s “Becky Nurse of Salem”, directed by Margaret E. Hall, at Capital Repertory Theatre. 
Sarah Ruhl’s “Becky Nurse of Salem”, directed by Margaret E. Hall, at Capital Repertory Theatre. 
Sarah Ruhl’s “Becky Nurse of Salem”, directed by Margaret E. Hall, at Capital Repertory Theatre. 
Sarah Ruhl’s “Becky Nurse of Salem”, directed by Margaret E. Hall, at Capital Repertory Theatre. 
Sarah Ruhl’s “Becky Nurse of Salem”, directed by Margaret E. Hall, at Capital Repertory Theatre. 
Sarah Ruhl’s “Becky Nurse of Salem”, directed by Margaret E. Hall, at Capital Repertory Theatre. 
Sarah Ruhl’s “Becky Nurse of Salem”, directed by Margaret E. Hall, at Capital Repertory Theatre. 
Sarah Ruhl’s “Becky Nurse of Salem”, directed by Margaret E. Hall, at Capital Repertory Theatre. 
The production could be described as a glass half full. On the positive side, Director Margaret E. Hall has assembled a superior cast. Brenny Campbell is outstanding as Becky, with unflagging energy she embraces the angry and jumbled life of this tormented soul, not forgetting the love she feels for her granddaughter and for Bob. James Joseph O’Neil is especially affective as Bob – his portrayal is genuine and nuanced. Alexandra Szeto-Joe and Joe Gamo play Gail and Stan, the teenagers in love, with a good mixture of angst and verve. Kathy McCafferty turns in an immensely entertaining performance as the Witch – she is wild and hilarious as the fake (?) psychic. The ensemble is complete with strong performances by Shayne David Cameris as the Judge and Jailor and Briana Gibson Reeves as Shelby.
As directed by Hall, the performances are over the top, farcical, and invigorating. A wise choice for Ruhl’s “out there” dark comedy. However, the staging lacks the forward drive of the text and character depictions. Somewhere between the choices of Hall and the set designer, Daniel Conway, a play which should have run two hours is much longer because of multiple scene changes. With numerous locales and very frequent shifts, just as the actors build the tension and interest, a backstage crew emerges to move things around in the dark and we are jerked out of the world of the play. Some excellent lighting (by Shelby Loera), imaginative projections (by Kylee Lorera) and eerie sound (by Katherine Horowitz) aim to bridge the gaps while we wait for the next scene, they are not enough. The Rep’s stage is large and there were certainly other options for scene changes that would have kept us in the play.
So the results are mixed. Lots to enjoy here – top notch performances, a fascinating if unruly script. It is, however, a long evening. But as we segue into longer nights, perhaps it will be your cup of tea.
Credits
Playwright: Sarah Ruhl
Director: Margaret E. Hall
Set Design: Daniel Conway
Lighting Design: Shelby Loera
Costume Design: Elivia Bovenzi Blintz
Projection Design: Kylee Lorera
Sound Design: Katherine Horowitz
Cast: Shayne David Cameris (Judge/Jailor), Brenny Campbell (Becky), Joe Gamo (Stan), Kathy McCafferty (The Witch/Fight Captain), James Joseph O’Neil (Bob), Briana Gibson Reeves (Shelby), Alexandra Szeto-Joe (Gail).
Information
BECKY NURSE OF SALEM runs September 16 through October 19, 2025. For tickets, phone: (518) 346-6204.
Running time: 2 ½ hours with one intermission
Theatre: Capital Repertory Theatre (The Rep), 251 North Pearl St., Albany, NY 12207.
Website: attherep.org