About the Course
TAPS 15sc
Prerequisites: None. Ways of Thinking/Ways of Doing Certified for Creative Expression
In the new millennium, the popularity of TV courtroom drama has been staggering: according to a weekly Nielsen ratings conducted a few years ago, 30 million people watched CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in one night, 70 million watched at least one of the CSI shows, and 40 million watched two other forensic dramas (Without a Trace and Cold Case). These widely popular shows offer a somewhat distorted image of American criminal courtroom. In this class we will go "behind the scenes" to engage in a hands-on investigation of performances in the criminal trials. We will begin by visiting Bay Area courthouses to observe the courtroom as a "set" for powerful legal dramas that are happening there on a daily basis. In these field trips we will talk to judges and other legal professionals. After this introduction to the real-life courtroom, we will investigate landmark theatrical court dramas. Using mock trial techniques, we will approach playtexts as legal "cases." We will try to identify weaknesses and strengths of these cases, and then use them as mock trial scenarios. Ultimately, this class engages the questions of what does it take to build a solid courtroom case and how does it differ from a powerful piece of theater. While getting acquainted with both courtroom and theater techniques, we will keep a critical eye on (mis)representations of criminal courtroom in the popular media.
No previous experience in acting or mock trials is necessary. The class has been approved for Creative Expression requirement.
Click to see Professor Jakovljevic speak about his class
INSTRUCTOR BIO
Branislav Jakovljevic is an associate professor in the Department of Theater and Performance Studies. He specializes in modernist theater and the avant-garde, and in his current research he focuses on the relation between law and performance. He received 2009 annual award from the Association for Theater in Higher Education Award for Outstanding Essay for his article “From Mastermind to Body Artist: Political Performances of Slobodan Milosevic,” in which he discusses the trial of the former president of Serbia in front of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. His latest book is Alienation Effects: Performance and Self-Management in Yugoslavia, 1945-1991.
