Broadway isn't just for the baby boomer generation, and Sadie Sink is a part of the cohort of artists helping to push new audiences through the door.
Sink, like Rachel Zegler in this season's Romeo and Juliet, is championing the much needed demographic shift as the star of the new play John Proctor is The Villain, which re-examines The Crucible from the perspective of a modern high school discussion of the text. On April 8, Sink visited Late Night with Seth Meyers to discuss the importance of making theatre that appeals to younger generations.
"It was always kind of the goal," Sink shared, reflecting on how rare it has been to see a show on Broadway aimed for her generation, and not her parents or grandparents. "It's happening, which is amazing. We actually did a student matinee on Wednesday, and had 750 high school students come and see the show. It was amazing, and for a lot of them, it was their first Broadway show ever, and they were so locked in and with us the entire time. To see this depiction of high school happen before them, and they responded so well to it... it was funny, some of the things that adults usually laugh at, that some of these high school student characters in the play say, the students that came to see it, they were dead serious about it... this has a really good grip on what high school is... whether it's a TV show or film or a play, it's really hard to capture the authentic dialogue of my generation, and Kimberly Belflower, our playwright, does that so perfectly."
While on the show, Sink also discussed the secrecy around her Stranger Things scripts, her pre-show routine, and the joy of putting on musicals in the living room with her siblings during the COVID-19 lockdown.
John Proctor is the Villain began performances March 20 ahead of an April 14 opening night. The recently extended run will continue through July 6. Tony winner Danya Taymor (The Outsiders) directs.
