Oyez, oyez, oyez! Shakespeare Theatre Company’s annual Mock Trial, “the funniest, most entertaining event in Washington” (Roll Call) is now in session—virtually. On March 11, at 7:30 p.m. ET, audiences are invited to hear a mock appellate argument before a panel of judges, based on a legal issue arising out of a re-imagined plot point of The Winter’s Tale. Audiences will be able to watch the proceedings online and even cast their own judgment before the panel renders their verdict.
Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale has more royal scandals than four seasons of The Crown: accusations of adultery, jealous spouses, feigned deaths, a potential war with former allies, a hungry bear, and a statue brought to life.
Focusing on the royal rift between King Leontes and Queen Hermione of Sicily, this year’s Mock Trial scenario A Winter’s Tale of Marital Woe: Who’s to Blame? finds the Queen’s frenemy Paulina paying out of pocket after keeping the monarchs separated for sixteen years. Paulina will appeal the decision of the court, claiming piety for Apollo caused her to imprison the Queen and offer her alternative facts about the state of the royal marriage.
United States Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer will preside over the panel of judges, including Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Makan Delrahim, Former Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division, and Andrew Weissmann, Jenner & Block LLP, Former General Counsel of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, will serve as the Advocates for the Trial. Pamela Talkin, former Marshal of the United States Supreme Court and the first woman to hold this position will serve as the Marshal. Abbe Lowell, Winston & Strawn LLP, one of the nation’s leading white-collar defense and trial lawyers and a longtime member of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Board of Trustees, will moderate. More participants will be announced soon.
Tickets to watch the Virtual Mock Trial are $30; free for current students. Please RSVP here: https://www.
The Shakespeare Theatre Company Bard Association is generously supported by Eversheds Sutherland LLP.
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