Orlando Shakes Hosts The 12th Annual John R. Hamilton Mock Trial: The Crown V. Falstaff

Orlando Shakes hosts The 12th Annual John R. Hamilton Mock Trial: The Crown v. Falstaff.

The Margeson Theater will transform into a hilarious, interactive courtroom as the drunken Falstaff is put on trial for corruption. See actors from Orlando Shakes' productions of Henry IV, Part 1 take the unpredictability of live theater to a whole new level in an over-the-top, rollicking trial amidst a panel of celebrity judges, including Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel Columnist, Alisa Smith, Chair of the Department of Legal Studies at the University of Central Florida, and

Judge Frederick Lauten, Former Chief Judge of the Ninth Judicial Circuit for Orange and Osceola Counties. Kimberly A. Ashby of Foley & Lardner LLP, and Nicholas A. Shannin, Esq. of The Shannin Law Firm, will return as advocates.

The event includes an opportunity to mingle with leading members of Central Florida's legal, business, and artistic communities in a pre-show VIP reception. Starting at 6:00 p.m., all VIP ticket holders are invited to enjoy hors d'oeuvres, beer, and wine.

Since 2009, Orlando Shakes has hosted mock trials that explore contemporary legal thought using classic plays as their template, resulting in a zany event hailed as live theater meets Judge Judy. The Mock Trial assembles a panel of local celebrity judges to hear a case based on one of the season's Signature Series productions and argued by notable attorneys in Central Florida. This year's judges panel will be announced at a later date.

Past mock trials have put Mother Nature on trial for the havoc she's wrought on Shakespeare's characters in The Tempest vs. Pericles, considered whether William Shakespeare was guilty of plagiarism, and addressed a contentious Darcy v. Wickham defamation lawsuit based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

For more information visit orlandoshakes.org.