"Panic in Connecticut" is ... "masterfully performed
by Virginia Wolf... the museum was
filled with area residents, both young and old, who were mesmerized
by Wolf’s performance. Extra chairs had to be brought in as people
continued to show up even after the performance began." --NewTimes.com
Panic in Connecticut:
Accused Witches Have Their Say
Between 1642 and 1693,
at least 40 people in the colony of Connecticut were tried as
witches, and at least 10 of them were hanged. Most of them were
women.
Who were these women?
How did they come to be accused of witchcraft? What was life
like for them? Did they truly practice witchcraft? Who were
their accusers, and why. How and why did the accusing of witches
finally end…or has it?
Many records are lost
or non-existent, but we can learn enough to begin to understand
what life was like back then, and why witchcraft was such an all
encompassing subject.
Travel back to the 17th
century and hear what 5 women accused of witchcraft have to
say. Actress Virginia Wolf brings them to life, fully costumed,
fully incensed, fully frightened.
Painstakingly
researched, “Panic in Connecticut; Accused Witches Have Their
Say” is a one woman show that sheds light on the puritan society
that condemned so-called witches to their death thirty years
before the hysterics of Salem, MA.
*Run
time: 45-60 minutes *Adaptable for both adults and students *
No special equipment required
Virginia Wolf
performs the part of Mercy Disborough, a woman accused of
witchcraft in Fairfield in the 17th century, in the production
of "Panic in Connecticut: Accused Witches Have Their Say" during
her visit to the Danbury Museum and Historical Society on
Saturday, March 24, 2012. Photos 2 & 3: Jason Rearick / The
News-Times
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"Panic in Connecticut" can be appreciated on several levels. It is a
realistic glimpse into daily life during a little understood part of
our history. It is a superb theatrical performance by Ms. Wolf. And
it is a cautionary tale - still valid today - about the importance
of tolerance and the danger of gossip. --George Linkletter,
Citizen News
