Goneril: Lock Her Up? Here’s What STC’s Hilarious Mock Trial Decided
By: Sophia Howes
On March 13, 2023, Shanlon Wu and Sydney Smith Forquer successfully represented The Kingdom in the Shakespeare Theater Company’s 36th Mock Trial, Leary of Treason: Goneril v. The Kingdom. The comedy-based program highlighted cases from the 25th Amendment to Clarence Thomas. Not all of the cases contained such heavy legal matters, such as Prince Harry’s book “Spare.” Shan and Sydney were victorious with a 60% to 40% vote from the judges.
The mock trial series explores the connection of classical theatre and modern-day law. Throughout the years, prominent law professionals have participated, including U.S. Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr., Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, and the Honourable Suzanne Côté from the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as Chief Judge Merrick B. Garland, Judge David S. Tatel, Judge Thomas B. Griffith, Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, Judge Patricia A. Millett, Judge Cornelia T.L. Pillard, Judge Robert L. Wilkins, and Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
Shakespeare Theatre Company’s 36th Mock Trial, Leary of Treason: Goneril v. The Kingdom, was fast, fiery, and funnier than ever. The evening was replete with discussions of witch hunts, shirtless horseback rides, and the inalienable right of sovereigns to shoot people on Fifth Avenue.
The arguments covered a startling array of topics, from the 25th Amendment to Clarence Thomas to the role God plays in U.S. jurisprudence. Less-legal subjects included Prince Harry’s Spare, Chinese labs, Italian space lasers, and the imperfections of the French army. The snappy comebacks were frequent and scorching, from “What about Anne Boleyn?” to “We only call balls and strikes” to “I don’t like that question so I will move on.” The audience frequently exploded in laughter.
