"Cry Innocent - The people versus Bridget Bishop" is a dramatic live recreation of Salem's first witch trial, where audience members play the jury.
The show starts outside on the pedestrian mall in downtown Salem, and the first part is free for anyone wandering the boulevard of tourist traps and shops. About a half hour before any "Cry Innocent" performance, Salem visitors may notice costumed Puritans trying to "blend," or speaking an archaic dialect and handing out leaflets. The Puritans will pose for photos, but don't understand references to the Internet or HBO's Deadwood.
Suddenly, a ruckus kicks up as Bridget Bishop is spotted by town authorities and dragged screaming down the thoroughfare to the old town hall. Tourists are sucked along, Pied Piper-style, and quickly fill the seats to decide Bridget's fate.
