“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  Read Article

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

 

      “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

The Mary Barnes portion of the show was recently performed for the Stanley-Whitman House in Farmington as part of a commemoration of the witch trials.  View here https://youtu.be/jCSJig5Vp5Q