Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Susan Glaspell Goes to Law School
The full text of the paper (a draft, actually) that Dr. DeAnna Toten Beard and I prepared for the theater conference in Minneapolis is finally available for download here. So download it, read it, and tell me what you think. We will probably continue to refine it and then submit it to theater journals.
Comments:
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First, I'd never seen the word "dramaturgy" prior to reading the paper. Second, in my totally uninformed opinion, I agree to some extent with the statement trial lawyers are held to the standard of television characters, but I disagree with the fact it's the single standard.
I think most jurors understand that some things in movies and television aren't realistic.
I wouldn't compare my doctor to House, or a member of Grey's Anatomy and I wouldn't compare a Crime Scene Investigator to Gill Grisam.
Instead I would be far more inclined to compare my doctor to those I've seen doing real surgery on shows like Extreme Surgery or Real Life ER and I'd compare the CSI to what I've seen on Forensic Files.
On that same standard I'd compare a lawyer not to what I see on Shark or Law and Order, but what I saw during the OJ Simpson trial, or anything I've seen on Court TV.
Ask any juror if they'd heard the phrase, "if the glove don't fit, you must acquit" and the answer will likely be yes.
I acknowledge that I'm still talking about television characters being the standard, I just think there are two totally separate and unique influences through the television. One is from actors, the other is from non-actors. I'd argue the latter is at least as important if not more so than the first.
I think most jurors understand that some things in movies and television aren't realistic.
I wouldn't compare my doctor to House, or a member of Grey's Anatomy and I wouldn't compare a Crime Scene Investigator to Gill Grisam.
Instead I would be far more inclined to compare my doctor to those I've seen doing real surgery on shows like Extreme Surgery or Real Life ER and I'd compare the CSI to what I've seen on Forensic Files.
On that same standard I'd compare a lawyer not to what I see on Shark or Law and Order, but what I saw during the OJ Simpson trial, or anything I've seen on Court TV.
Ask any juror if they'd heard the phrase, "if the glove don't fit, you must acquit" and the answer will likely be yes.
I acknowledge that I'm still talking about television characters being the standard, I just think there are two totally separate and unique influences through the television. One is from actors, the other is from non-actors. I'd argue the latter is at least as important if not more so than the first.
Swanburg--
I based my view on talking to a lot of jurors after trial. It sounds like you are basing yours on what you would think as a juror.
The problem with that is that you aren't a typical juror.
Of course, in my temporary career as a Californian this week, I have apparently been classified as "homeless." So maybe we just don't understand one another's world very well.
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I based my view on talking to a lot of jurors after trial. It sounds like you are basing yours on what you would think as a juror.
The problem with that is that you aren't a typical juror.
Of course, in my temporary career as a Californian this week, I have apparently been classified as "homeless." So maybe we just don't understand one another's world very well.
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