Abigail/1702

by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

In this tale of New England witchery, it is ten years after the harrowing and tragic events of the Salem witch trials. Abigail Williams—the lead accuser who sent twenty people to their doom as a young girl—now lives under an assumed name on the outskirts of Boston, quietly striving to atone for her sins. When a handsome stranger arrives claiming to be a sailor in need, Abigail takes him in, and long-dormant passions awaken within her. Love starts to grow between the two—an unlikely flower cracking through salty earth. But their contentment is short-lived, for someone else is coming for Abigail, someone who has been looking for her since she danced in the weird woods of Salem. The Devil is demanding Abigail's soul, and a debt will be paid—but first, Abigail must make peace with the woman she most wronged…

Genres: Plays

63 pages, Paperback

Published December 15, 2017

About the author

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is an American playwright, screenwriter, and comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Comics and for the television series Glee, Big Love, Riverdale, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. He is Chief Creative Officer of Archie Comics.
Aguirre-Sacasa grew up liking comic books, recalling in 2003, "My mom would take us out to the 7-Eleven on River Road during the summer, and we would get Slurpees and buy comics off the spinning rack. I would read them all over and over again, and draw my own pictures and stuff."
He began writing for Marvel Comics, he explained, when "Marvel hired an editor to find new writers, and they hired her from a theatrical agency. So she started calling theaters and asking if they knew any playwrights who might be good for comic books. A couple of different theaters said she should look at me. So she called me, I sent her a couple of my plays and she said 'Great, would you like to pitch on a couple of comic books in the works?'"
His first submissions were "not what [they were] interested in for the character[s]" but eventually he was assigned an 11-page Fantastic Four story, "The True Meaning of...," for the Marvel Holiday Special 2004. He went on to write Fantastic Four stories in Marvel Knights 4, a spinoff of that superhero team's long-running title; and stories for Nightcrawler vol. 3; The Sensational Spider-Man vol. 2; and Dead of Night featuring Man-Thing.
In May 2008 Aguirre-Sacasa returned to the Fantastic Four with a miniseries tie-in to the company-wide "Secret Invasion" storyline concerning a years-long infiltration of Earth by the shape-shifting alien race, the Skrulls,and an Angel Revelations miniseries with artists Barry Kitson and Adam Polina, respectively. He adapted for comics the Stephen King novel The Stand.

In 2013, he created Afterlife with Archie, depicting Archie Andrews in the midst of a zombie apocalypse; the book's success led to Aguirre-Sacasa being named Archie Comics' chief creative officer.

Reviews

[Nick K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually liked this script very much! I thought it was will written with care and skill. Roberto Aguirre's plays are hit and miss for me. But I feel like when he has a touchstone to land on (whether that be an adaptation or a sequel) he is able to reel himself in and write a cohesive and tight story, staying focused and sharp.

I loved Abigail. And that's saying something because I remember hating her in The Crucible. The fact that he gave her a heart and compelling history makes for a great piece of theater. Add in a colorful supporting cast that always serves a purpose and helps the move the story forward. I liked the Devil. He didn't talk much, but I don't feel like he would say much. I liked John (props to Aguirre-Sacasa for the name connection with John Proctor), I felt he had a lot of depth and was dangerous. Over all, I like this script. It left me feeling invigorated And hopeful about the power of storytelling.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first page, I couldn’t put this one down. Aguirre-Sacasa takes a selfish, spiteful character from The Crucible, and weaves a story full of depth, regret, guilt, and the search for atonement. The characters are fully imagined, and the story moves in a non-linear fashion to the climax. If catharsis is what you are looking for, you will find it here.

I can’t wait to stage this one!

[Ally Varitek · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling, thrilling read, doing what stories often do well when dashed with history: invite us to see a new story, a more multi-dimensional view of "something past."

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this for my scene study class and loved it.

[Zachary Boone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read and excellent follow up to The Crucible.

[Mars · Rating 4 out of 5]

me? an Abigail Williams apologist? yeah. yeah i am

[Clara Bennet · Rating 4 out of 5]

would be honored to perform this, as an Abigail Williams sympathizer. I am, however, still waiting for a play that more explicitly acknowledges that she was before anything a victim.