Court Is in Session! Elevator Repair Service’s Arguendo Opens at the Public Theater

Legal eagles and bureaucratic beginners alike can have a rollicking good time at the Public Theater’s new play Arguendo, a romping political riff from the acclaimed theater troupe Elevator Repair Service. Directed by John Collins, the play opens on September 24 with a scheduled end date on October 13 (already extended from its original closing date of October 6).

Maggie Hoffman, Mike Iveson, Vin Knight, Susie Sokol and Ben Williams star as an array of Supreme Court justices, court reporters, lawyers and exotic dancers in the playful performance piece, which tackles the 1991 case Barnes v. Glen Theatre. In the pivotal case, a group of dancers challenge a state ban on public nudity, claiming an infringement of their First Amendment rights. Oral arguments from the case are staged in conjunction with an innovative projection design by visual artist Ben Rubin.

Arguendo features set design by David Zinn, lighting by Mark Barton, costumes by Jacob A. Climer and sound design by Matt Tierney.

Find out more about Arguendo by watching Ben Williams' Showtease interview!