Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, based at Babson College in Wellesley, and the Boston Lawyers’ Chapter of the Federalist Society will present the 16th annual Shakespeare and the Law series on Feb. 12 at 6 p.m. at the New England Conservatory Black Box Theater, 225 St. Botolph St., Boston.
This year's series focuses on the subject of “Belief and the Burden of Proof” through the lens of Shakespeare’s plays, and is directed by CSC's Associate Artistic Director Adam Sanders and produced by Daniel J. Kelly, a partner with the law firm McCarter & English.
The program takes on the themes of belief and the burden of proof through the lens of six of Shakespeare’s plays, "Cymbeline," "Hamlet," "Henry IV, Part 1," "Julius Caesar," "Measure for Measure" and "Othello." Following a staged reading of brief scenes from each of the plays, judges, prosecutors, attorneys, activists and commentators will discuss and debate how allegations of impropriety should be measured and judged in the courtroom, the workplace, the college campus and the Congressional hearing room.
Special guest panelists will include author, lawyer and social critic Wendy Kaminer, Samantha Harris, vice president for procedural advocacy for the Foundation for Individual Rights, and Diane Rosenfeld, director of Harvard University’s Gender Violence Program. The cast includes Massachusetts federal judges Nathaniel Gorton, Timothy Hillman, Douglas Woodlock, George O’Toole, Ryan Zobel and retired federal judge Nancy Gertner. In addition, retired SJC Justices Robert Cordy and Judith Cowin will join together with Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby, and Senior Fellow, Independent Women’s Forum and former Civil Rights Commissioner Jennifer C. Braceras. Participating for the first time are the commonwealth’s new U.S. Attorney, Andrew Lelling, and the newly elected Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins. Gertner and Braceras will moderate the panel discussion.
Tickets are $5. For more information and to reserve your seat, visit http://commshakes.org/event/shakespeare-and-the-law/
The Federalist Society is an academic oriented organization comprised of law students, attorneys, professors and judges committed to creating awareness and discussion of timely and timeless issues affecting the law and society. The Society is dedicated to ensuring that traditional legal principles — limited constitutional government, the separation of powers, individual freedom and responsibility, and the rule of law — remain part of the legal debate.
Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC), best known for its annual free performances on Boston Common, is a non-profit theater company founded in 1996, dedicated to artistic excellence, accessibility, and education. CSC’s Free Shakespeare on the Common has served over one million audience members over its 24-year history and has become a beloved summer tradition enjoyed by nearly 50,000 people annually. In 2013, CSC became the Theatre-in-Residence at Babson College in Wellesley, MA. In addition to the annual Boston Common production, CSC now presents fully staged productions at the Sorenson Center for the Arts at Babson, including the recent Old Money, Death and the Maiden, the world premiere of Our American Hamlet and the Elliot Norton Award-winning production of Becket in Brief; “Theatre in the Rough,” semi- staged readings including Fear and Misery in the Third Reich, featuring Tony Shalhoub, Brooke Adams and local actors; as well as “Shakespeare & the Law,” and “Shakespeare & Leadership.” CSC fulfills its educational mission with actor-training programs for pre-professional and professional actors through the summer Apprentice program and CSC2. To learn more about these programs, visit www.commshakes.org.