The Witching Hour

The Witching Hour, a collaborative project between Connecticut Landmarks and the Judy Dworin Performance Project, reached an audience of over 2000. The modern dance/theatre piece brought to life the often overlooked 17th-century Connecticut witch trials. The gender implications of Hartford’s witch craze was voiced through Wethersfield landowner, Katherine Harrison. The audience viewed this information through the eyes of Addie Avery, a 13-year old home-school student, who is currently working towards the exoneration of her ancestor, Mary Sanford, who was executed as a witch in 1662. Audiences responded enthusiastically to The Witching Hour, calling it "intellectually and artistically stimulating." The piece was awarded a prestigious Award of Merit by the Connecticut League of History Organizations. A study guide was designed to complement students’ understanding of the piece and provide background historical information. Performances were held for a variety of audiences at the Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford and Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic. As part of the project, Connecticut Landmarks cosponsored a half-day symposium with Eastern Connecticut University’s Center for Connecticut Studies. Entitled Witches Among Us: A Reconsideration of Witchcraft Studies the conference featured notable historians, Prof. John Demos, Dr. Richard Godbeer, and State Historian Emeritus, Christopher “Kit” Collier.

Materials from this important project are available for sale: To purchase items, please call 860.247.8996, ext. 23 or email jamie.fontaine@ctlandmarks.org

$20 Hartford performance of The Witching Hour
$20 2-set DVD featuring Witches Among Us Symposium and Willimantic performance of The Witching Hour
$10 Study Guide
$10 The Witching Hour Poster