“I can’t say when I first became interested in courtrooms (probably from the movies),” say Alix Lambert, creator of The Civilians’ upcoming piece, COURTROOM, “but the first courtroom drawing that I did was in Rochester, NY. My friend Alice Hooker, a lawyer, took me — the defendant that day was on trial for allegedly stealing cartons of cigarettes with the intent to re-sell.”
Alix Lambert’s COURTROOM, performing February 7th at Joe’s Pub, is an investigation into the theater, politics, history, law, performance, illustration, and community that exists with the courtrooms of America. Through a combination of theater, music, and poetry, Lambert adapts stories from the courtrooms that first appeared in her book of courtroom drawings and true accounts from their cases of the same name.
“For COURTROOM, I interviewed people about their experiences of being in the courtroom,” Lambert explained. “I spoke to friends, strangers, lawyers, judges, victims, witnesses, family members, and courtroom sketch artists — the nature of the script, and of my other crime plays, is always evolving, with each new iteration incorporating new interviews, and taking into account the possibilities of the venue and context. I frequently collaborate with musicians, and for COURTROOM, Mike Mattison and Paul Olsen have created three original songs which they will perform.”
The nature of the courtroom also lends itself, conveniently, to creating theater. “There is, of course, theater within the courtroom. The lawyers are performing for the jury and the judge. Whoever tells the best story wins. Additionally, ever since we started putting trials on television, we have further elevated them as entertainment.”
This performance of COURTROOM is part of The Civilians’ return to in-person theater, and, fittingly, Lambert’s return, as well. “It’s been a difficult time for people. Theater in general, and this piece specifically, are about community and collective responsibility,” she says. “It feels nice and appropriate that this show would bring me back to live theater and afford me a way to reflect together with creative people who I respect.”
COURTROOM will perform on Monday, February 7th, 2022 at 7:00PM at Joe’s Pub. Click here for tickets and more information.
Extended Play is a project of The Civilians. To learn more about The Civilians and to access exclusive discounts to shows, visit us and join our email list at TheCivilians.org.
