Salem Witch Trials

It was a new world. The settlers from England had gained a foothold in the verdant land called "Amerika." Old traditions would be laid aside with new ones instituted. Greed, jealousy and suspicion would persist. Were these at the root of the Salem witch trials? Innocent residents of Salem, Massachusetts, were tried, and many executed, in perhaps the most infamous chapter in early American history. Meet Goode Rebeka, an elderly woman hanged as a witch in 1692 — but was she? Jessica Michna of Historical First Impressions theater company will portray Goode Rebeka in "Trial by Fire — the Salem Witch Trials" May 12 during “Thursdays at the U (https://barron.uwec.edu/business-community/free-viewing-lecture-series/)" at UW-Eau Claire – Barron County. The program will be from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in the Blue Hills Lecture Hall (Room 234, Ritzinger Hall) on the Rice Lake campus. Her school years would find her appearing in various productions, and, upon graduation, several scholarships were offered to further her studies in theater arts. Michna opted instead to earn a degree in psychology from the UW System, working for several years as a researcher and lecturer. Her love of theater and history eventually led her to found Historical First Impressions. In 2016 she was awarded the Presidential Service Center's Distinguished Service Award for her riveting portrayals of first ladies.