Sadie Sink made an emotional and triumphant return to Broadway on Monday, April 14, leading the cast of John Proctor Is the Villain at New York City’s Booth Theatre. This marks a major milestone in her acting career, as it’s her first lead role on Broadway — a transition that’s being hailed as a significant evolution from her breakout success on Netflix’s Stranger Things.
The event also became a mini Stranger Things reunion, as castmates Natalia Dyer, Maya Hawke, Gaten Matarazzo, and Finn Wolfhard showed up to support their longtime co-star. In addition to the Stranger Things alumni, the premiere drew a wide range of celebrities and theatre veterans, including F. Murray Abraham, Constance Wu, Marisa Tomei, and Richard Kind.
The outpouring of support reflects not only Sadie Sink’s star power but the significance of the play’s narrative in today’s cultural climate. Ahead of the opening, Sadie Sink spoke to PEOPLE, describing what attracted her to the project: “Kimberly’s writing is so brilliant and truly captures teenagers in such an authentic light. It deals with uncomfortable topics in a digestible, honest way.” She added that she was “incredibly proud” of her team and the message the play conveys.
John Proctor Is the Villain is written by Kimberly Belflower and directed by Tony Award winner Danya Taymor. Set in a Georgia high school, the play follows a group of students studying Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. As discussions about young love, sex education, and school scandals unfold, the students begin to question John Proctor’s hero status in the iconic play. This meta-theatrical exploration turns the lens inward on society’s narratives and who we choose to celebrate or vilify in literature and real life.
Sadie Sink stars as Shelby Holcomb, the emotional core of the story. She is joined by an accomplished ensemble, including Nihar Duvvuri as Mason Adams, Gabriel Ebert (Tony Award-winner) as Carter Smith, and Molly Griggs as Bailey Gallagher, among others. Understudies include Noah Pacht, Fiona Robberson, Shian Tomlinson, Garrett Young, and Victoria Vourkoutiotis.
This is Sadie Sink’s third Broadway credit, but it’s her first time leading a production on such a prestigious platform. She previously played Annie in the 2012 revival and appeared in The Audience alongside Helen Mirren in 2015. Of course, Sink’s massive rise to stardom came with her role as Max Mayfield in Stranger Things, especially prominent in season 4, where her performance earned widespread acclaim and award buzz.
Earlier this year, Sink emotionally reflected on her decade-long journey with Stranger Things, which has wrapped filming for its fifth and final season. “It was really hard, really difficult to say goodbye. We grew up with the show, and the audience grew up with us,” she told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show. When asked if she took anything from the set, she revealed: “I needed Max’s skateboard, which was gifted to me. I’ve got Walkmans, Kate Bush cassettes, and every pair of Vans Max wore. My home is becoming a mini Stranger Things museum.”
With John Proctor Is the Villain, Sadie Sink is stepping into a new era — from beloved teen star to a powerful force on Broadway. Critics are praising her commanding stage presence and emotional depth, which prove she’s more than ready for leading roles in both theatre and film.
While she hasn’t confirmed her next film project, insiders suggest she’s being courted for both indie dramas and major studio roles. With The Whale and Taylor Swift’s All Too Well: The Short Film already in her portfolio, she continues to defy expectations with mature and emotionally complex roles.
From Netflix fame to Broadway brilliance, Sadie Sink has once again proven her versatility and depth as an actor. With a critically acclaimed opening in John Proctor Is the Villain and loyal support from her Stranger Things family, her journey is one to watch closely in 2025 and beyond.
