Goody - the Witch of Eastham
By Margaret Van Sant
Music by Clyde Shelby Mellert and Margaret Van Sant
Directed by John Shuman
Dramaturge: Marjorie Duffield

As whispers of witchcraft and rebellion echo through a Puritan community, Goody Hallett must confront the harsh judgments of her neighbors and the unforgiving sea that may or may not return her true love.

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."

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.

PLAY SETTING…
Time: 1714 -1717
Locations: Boston North Church, Eastham Cape Cod, and several ships, including the Mary Anne and Whydah

The play was a finalist in the Kaplan Playwriting Competition in 2022. It has had one reading.

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

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.