Want to become a Supreme Court justice, with no pesky confirmation hearing required? Head over to Woolly Mammoth, where a lobby display for the current production of "Arguendo" will soon become one of the most Instagrammed objects in this crawling-with-lawyers city. It's an aspirational photo cutout that allows you to put your face in the lineup for the justices, and every 1L in D.C. who's not outlining in the library is going to caption the photo "Justice [insert last name]."
The lobby display at Woolly Mammoth's newest production, "Arguendo." (Maura Judkis/The Washington Post)
The play, presented by Elevator Repair Service, is a fanciful reenactment of the 1991 First Amendment case Barnes vs. Glen Theatre, in which a group of exotic dancers challenged a statewide ban on public nudity that required them to wear pasties and a g-string while performing. (Those items are on display a few feet away from the visage of then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist).
Five actors play all nine of the justices, as well as the counsel and journalists. The dialogue comes directly from the arguments, but the staging, through which Elevator Repair Service questions the meaning and scope of the definition of "dance," -- a point of contention in the real-life case -- is a playfully irreverent case of contempt of court.
Tip: If you haven't seen "Hair," which is referenced in this show, you might want to head over to Keegan Theatre for a double feature of sorts. Incidentally, both shows might be the nakedest D.C. theatrical productions of the year.
Elevator Repair Service ARGUENDO Trailer from ERS Theater on Vimeo.
