About the All-Ohio Show
The annual All-Ohio production is one of the most exciting opportunities that Ohio Thespians offers. The All-Ohio production serves to bring together the best high school theatre artists throughout the state for a production experience they likely would not have in their school communities, working with a production team of professional theatre artists.
Every inducted Thespian is invited to audition/interview for the company at #OhFallThesFest23. Once the company is selected, the All-Ohio production is created over four immersive rehearsal, tech weekends leading up to opening night. The All-Ohio production is the featured mainstage show to open the spring conference each year.
The 2025 All-Ohio Show is John Proctor is the Villain by Kimberly Belflower. Auditions will take place as part of the #OhFallThesFest24 to be held on November 2, 2024.
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John Proctor is the Villain is set in a rural Georgia high school where a group of lively teens explore The Crucible while navigating young love, sex ed, and a few school scandals.
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Past All-Ohio productions include Head of Heels, Moon Over Buffalo, Fun Home, May 4th Voices, Carrie, Letters to Sala, Spring Awakening, and The Laramie Project, among many others.
The All-Ohio Show provides participating students with the experience of working on an advanced level of theatrical production. It is a special honor for participants and their schools as well as an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.
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The 2025 All-Ohio Show is John Proctor is the Villain will be directed by SMJ who previously directed Fun Home as the 2022 All-Ohio Production.
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SMJ (they/them) is a mixed-Latiné and non-binary playwright, director, educator, & theater-maker originally from Mount Vernon, OH. They are THRILLED to collaborate with the Ohio EdTA again on this incredibly important play! Previously, SMJ was the director of Fun Home (2022 All-Ohio Show) as well as the choreographer for Time Capsule (2021 All-Ohio Show) and Carrie (2019 All-Ohio Show). They have recently directed at Lincoln Center Theater Education (Once on This Island JR), Kennedy Center (Transhumance), Lincoln Center/National Queer Theater (War and Play), and Westerville South High School (The Wolves).
As a writer, they were a 2022-2023 Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellow. Currently, SMJ is creating work with Ars Nova, Latinx Playwrights Circle, The Orchard Project, and The Road Theatre Company. Their work has been seen in various forms at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, New York Stage and Film, Lincoln Center, National Queer Theater, Latiné Musical Theatre Lab, Carnegie Mellon University, Otterbein University, Wright State University, New York University, Art House Productions, Andy's Summer Playhouse, The Workshop Theater, and The 24 Hour Plays.
SMJ has been a semifinalist for the O’Neill’s National Playwrights Conference (three times), Princess Grace Award at New Dramatists, and Van Lier New Voices Fellowship as well as a Finalist for the 2024 June Bingham New Playwright Commission, Illinois State University’s 2024 Diverse Voices Playwriting Initiative, 2023 Parity Development Award, Write Out Loud Contest, and the Doric Wilson Playwright Award. They’re a member of the Dramatists Guild and Ring of Keys. www.smjwrites.com