A Modern-Day Witch Trial

With the production "Cry Innocent," visitors get caught up in the frenzy of a witch trial. They hear the evidence presented by actors as local townsfolk once did, question the witnesses, and in the end, vote innocent or guilty.

A group of actors play out their parts in Bridget Bishop's arrest on charges of witchcraft.

I must have been warned as a child not to follow the crowd, but nevertheless, I found myself swept up in the mass of people heading toward Salem's Old Town Hall, a brick building off the main commercial walkway. "They're going to a hanging, I heard a woman say as I passed." Not a hanging, exactly, but a trial that would decide if Bridget Bishop was, in fact, a witch.

I was in Salem, Massachusetts, and it was October. And Salem, as most know, is where the infamous witch trials were held in 1692. Today it is home to many people who practice witchcraft, and in the fall it becomes the unofficial Halloween capitol of New England. On the weekend day that I was there, the streets were filled with vendors and performers as crowds lined up for haunted houses, tarot card readings, or went shopping for candles or Halloween knickknacks. The actors from "Cry Innocent" mingled among the crowd, playing out their re-enactment of the arrest of Bishop. After she was arrested, they brought her down to the Old Town Hall and invited the crowd to come along.

Bishop was the first woman hanged as a witch in what was then a Puritan farming community. She appears to be a difficult woman, which makes her an interesting subject for a mock trial. She was married three times, didn't get along with her neighbors, and tended to roll her eyes as she was questioned on the stand. After hearing testimony, many modern-day jurors often vote to hang her.

Once inside Old Town Hall, spectators play the role of Salem Villagers, called to hear the testimony against a defiant Bishop. They are given the chance to question her accusers, and then vote for guilt or innocence. Our group voted innocent by a slim margin, although the real Bishop wasn't so lucky.

Details

During the month of October, performances are increased to a daily schedule. They are held at regular intervals thoughout the afternoon, and a trial lasts for about an hour. You can pick up tickets near the Old Town Hall before you enter.

Web Links

Cry Innocent

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Author: C. Danko
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