Defamation - A Play by Todd Logan

DEFAMATION is a play that explores the highly charged issues of race, religion, gender, class and the law with a twist: the audience is the jury. Through deliberations and post-show discussions, audiences engage in civil discourse that challenges pre-conceived notions. As playwright Todd Logan says, “Whether we like it or not, we still have major divides in this country. Most of us still go to bed at night in cities, communities and neighborhoods that are segregated by race, religion, ethnicity and/or class. I wanted to write a play that encourages open, honest conversation that leads to greater understanding and empathy to combat today’s prevailing trends.” DEFAMATION is an old-fashioned courtroom drama. The premise is a civil suit: A South Side African-American woman sues a Jewish North Shore real estate developer for defamation. The legal issue is whether or not she was falsely accused of stealing his watch and causing her financial harm. The trial runs 70 minutes. What follows is a 15-minute audience deliberation led by the judge. The judge polls the audience twice - before the deliberation begins and at its end. The final vote ‘for the plaintiff’ or ‘for the defendant’ decides the outcome of the trial. A post-show discussion with the audience, playwright and cast follows the end of the play. Overwhelmingly, audiences stay for the discussion, and the conversation about race, class, religion and all ‘isms’ grows richer. Please RSVP

When 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Building George Sherman Union - 775 Comm. Ave
Room Conference Auditorium - 2nd Floor
Contact Name Ty Furman
Contact Email artsinbu@bu.edu
Contact Organization BU Arts Initiative/Law Student Affairs
Fees Free