Becky Nurse of Salem by Sarah Ruhl

Sarah Ruhl’s dark comedy follows Becky Nurse, a modern-day descendant of accused witch Rebecca Nurse. Becky’s been fired from her job at the local museum in Salem , is troubled by her granddaughter’s boyfriend, is pining for a married man, and taking pain pills to cope after her daughter’s overdose. It seems hers is anything but a charmed life as Becky just tries to get by.

She looks to a local witch to help right her wrongs, leading to shocking, funny, and even disturbing results. Ruhl’s story reveals the real human beings inside the noise of history and how far one woman will go to hold onto what she holds dear.