Night Of January 16th
The play is divided among I think 9 parts. Enjoy:
"Night of January 16th is a play written by Ayn Rand, inspired by the death of the "Match King", Ivar Kreuger. It takes place entirely in a courtroom during a murder trial. One unusual feature of the play is that members of the audience are picked to take on the role of jury members each night. The play does not directly portray the events; instead the "jury" must rely on character testimony and vote on whether the "defendant" is guilty or not guilty. The play has different endings depending on the verdict. Rand intended the play to dramatize a conflict between individualism and conformity, with the jury's verdict revealing which viewpoint they preferred.
It was first produced in Los Angeles under a different name in 1934, to positive reviews and moderate commercial success. Producer Al Woods brought it successfully to Broadway during the 1935-36 season, where it drew attention for its jury gimmick. Doris Nolan, in her Broadway debut, received positive notices in the lead role. Several regional productions followed. An Off-Broadway revival in 1973 was a failure, both commercially and critically.
Rand had many heated disputes with Woods over script changes he wanted for the Broadway production. She disliked the result and the version published for amateur productions, so in 1968 she re-edited the script for publication as the "definitive" version. A movie loosely based on the play was released in 1941, and the story has also been adapted for television productions." wikipedia
"Night of January 16th is a play written by Ayn Rand, inspired by the death of the "Match King", Ivar Kreuger. It takes place entirely in a courtroom during a murder trial. One unusual feature of the play is that members of the audience are picked to take on the role of jury members each night. The play does not directly portray the events; instead the "jury" must rely on character testimony and vote on whether the "defendant" is guilty or not guilty. The play has different endings depending on the verdict. Rand intended the play to dramatize a conflict between individualism and conformity, with the jury's verdict revealing which viewpoint they preferred.
It was first produced in Los Angeles under a different name in 1934, to positive reviews and moderate commercial success. Producer Al Woods brought it successfully to Broadway during the 1935-36 season, where it drew attention for its jury gimmick. Doris Nolan, in her Broadway debut, received positive notices in the lead role. Several regional productions followed. An Off-Broadway revival in 1973 was a failure, both commercially and critically.
Rand had many heated disputes with Woods over script changes he wanted for the Broadway production. She disliked the result and the version published for amateur productions, so in 1968 she re-edited the script for publication as the "definitive" version. A movie loosely based on the play was released in 1941, and the story has also been adapted for television productions." wikipedia
SOURCE URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFhiKfY4uDI
When you get a chance, check out "The Early Ayn Rand" which has this and a few other plays from her unpublished archives:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Early-Ayn-Rand...
Particularly, there's this piece called "Ideal" that's *off the chain.* Imagine Dagny Taggart as an actress rather than a Railroad President, and take it from there...
First read this with some of her other plays ("Ideal," etc.) last year...kept telling myself this would be HOT to see if performed correctly (and justly).
Thanks again.