'Defamation': A Courtroom Drama with a Twist

Race, religion, and class collide in a riveting courtroom drama with a twist: the audience is the jury! Defamation, penned by Chicago playwright Todd Logan, will be presented for free at 2 p.m., Wednesday, October 16, at Oakton’s Des Plaines campus, 1600 East Golf Road (Room 1610), and 2 p.m., Tuesday, October 22, at the Skokie campus, 7701 North Lincoln Avenue (Rooms P103-P104).

Since 2010, Defamation has been staged at high schools, universities, law schools, civic and religious organizations, and places of businesses in Chicago and around the country. Each performance is followed by “jury” deliberation. Once a verdict is reached, join the playwright and cast for a question and answer session.   

“Whether we like it or not, we still have major divides in this country,” says Logan. “Most of us 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 greater tolerance and understanding by spurring self-examination and promoting compelling civil discourse.”

Presented by Canamac Productions, Defamation is a twist on the he-said-she-said story. African American businesswoman Regina Wade, the owner of a design firm on Chicago’s South Side, brings a civil defamation suit against Arthur Golden, a real estate developer from an affluent, white community from the North Shore. Wade claims Golden ruined her reputation and her business by accusing her of stealing his heirloom watch during a business meeting. During the trial, lawyers on both sides elicit testimony regarding segregated neighborhoods and private club memberships, racial and religious discrimination, and the hardships and privilege of class.

Oakton’s Office of Access Equity, and Diversity is sponsoring the play. For more information, contact Karishma Brownlee at (847) 635-1751 or kbrownlee@oakton.edu.