Performance & Workshop Schedule
The motto of Periaktos Productions is "the Dramatic Difference in Continuing Legal Education, " and provide innovative Continuing Legal Education (CLE), classroom and public education programs that facilitate learning through professional dramatic entertainment. We write and produce full length solo theatrical productions and tour them to law schools, universities, theatres, bar associations and convention meetings throughout the country. Our performances are used to facilitate audience discussion about a wide variety of social and legal issues. We focus particularly on ethical issues in the practice of law. While Clarence Darrow: Crimes, Causes and the Courtroom provides examples more directly related to the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, Thomas More provides a platform for exploring situations where there are conflicts between personal conscience and public loyalties, for which there are no simple answers. Our presentation of Impeach Justice Douglas! has proven effective in addressing constitutional and civil rights concerns raised in the "War on Terrorism" in wake of the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Our newest production, Thurgood Marshall's Coming!, addresses issues of racial bias and diversity, as well as equal access and equal justice under the law. We are currently at work on The Women Lawyers' Club, which will provide a montage of stories about women (both lawyers and non-lawyers) who have had an impact on the law. The performance programs have been approved in many states for 2.5 to 3.5 hours of CLE credit, depending on individual state requirements.
We also provide other CLE workshops, including "Word of Mouth: A Workshop in the Art and Ethics of Oral Communication for Lawyers," "The Art of the Lawyer: A Workshop in Professionalism" and "Substance Abuse: Abuse of the Profession." These are participatory workshops in which we address many issues, concerns and problems that fall under the realm of "professionalism," but are rarely addressed in programs for lawyers. We seek to help lawyers see themselves and their vocations and the problems of the profession from a new perspective and we use "art" and "artist" as metaphoric tools to do that. We often do a workshop in conjunction with a performance as we address issues of concern in the legal profession and use the characters portrayed as examples.
Our name, Periaktos Productions, gives us
a spiritual connection to 2500 years of theatrical tradition
and history. A "periaktoi" is a three sided scenic
unit which was used in the ancient Greek theatre. The term is
a natural name for our company because we see our vocational
mission as having three parts. First and foremost, we want to
entertain, which means, in the literal sense, "to hold
between". We want to engage our audiences! Secondly, we
want to educate, which in the classical sense means "to
draw out." We want to evoke ideas and responses to the issues
and situations we present and facilitate dialogue about them,
not instruct or indoctrinate audiences with our own. Lastly,
we hope to enlighten or "to reveal truths."
Things are not always what they seem and the theatre is a wonderful
way to lend a bit of insight and to explore what's below the
surface. Plays provide a way to learn about ourselves, while
looking at the lives of others. We see all of these elements
working dynamically together to bring engaging and educational
events, not only to the legal profession, but to the public as
well.
Visit with us about presenting a performance in your area and contact us if you have questions about what we do and how we do it!
We'd like YOU to enjoy our shows!
Anna Marie Thatcher, J.D.
Managing Producer
Periaktos Productions, L.L.C.
3213 West Main Street #272
Rapid City, SD 57702
(605) 787-7099 - fax (605) 786-0140
productions@periaktos.com
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