Show Notes
In this episode, Josh and Sarah speak with the creative team behind “The Witch of Woodbury,” a theatrical production at Connecticut’s Glebe House Museum that brings 17th-century witch trial victims to life through performance.
Featured Guests:
- Linda Barr-Gale – Actress portraying Moll Cramer for 13 years and production writer
- Loriann Witte – Director of Glebe House Museum, portraying Rebecca Greensmith
- Maribeth Cummings – Actress portraying Katherine Harrison for 5 years
- Vail Barrett – Actor portraying accuser Thomas Allyn
Key Topics:
- The legend of Moll Cramer, the “Witch of Woodbury” who was banished to Tophet Road
- Connecticut’s witch trial history from 1647-1663, including 11 executions
- How Governor John Winthrop Jr. transformed Connecticut’s approach to witchcraft accusations
- Accused Witch Katherine Harrison’s well-documented case and its role in changing spectral evidence standards
- Executed woman Rebecca Greensmith’s role in the Hartford Witch Panic of 1662
- The perspective of accusers like Thomas Allyn and the climate of fear in colonial Connecticut
- Using theatrical performance to make history accessible and memorable for modern audiences
Historical Context: The performance emphasizes the stark differences between Connecticut’s evolving legal standards under Winthrop and the later Salem trials.
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