Today I had the pleasure of attending The Defamation Experience hosted by Multicultural Affairs and Student Success. Being someone who loves the arts and enjoys when art challenges us and forces us to think outside of our comfort zones, I was thrilled that this opportunity was available to IUP students for free. The event took place in Gorell Recital Hall and there was not a single empty seat. Some individuals were even standing because there was such a large crowd.
“The Defamation Experience is a courtroom drama where the audience decides if the defendant is guilty or innocent. What follows is an open, honest, and interactive discussion facilitated by a member of the defamation team.”
To put it simply, The Defamation Experience is a play about a woman suing a man for defamation. Defamation cases play out in civil court, so their proceedings are a bit different from what you may see on TV.
What is different from this play as compared to other plays is that the actors want the audience to discuss and think critically about what is being said and how it is being said at all times.
The Defamation Experience focuses on race, religion, class, and gender. All of which are issues that plague our society as a whole today.
I asked students who attended how they felt overall about The Defamation Experience or what was something that they took away from it. One student said, “The play was solid; however, I do not feel that the conversation was strong enough. It really highlighted that race is something that cannot be ignored and how easily it is to switch from that being an advantage to a disadvantage.”
Another student said that she felt it highlighted how flawed our legal system is and The Defamation Experience exemplified this thought she already had. She continued by saying, “We are human, we have emotions and thoughts and personal experiences that makes us who we are. So, in a court of law to take that away and ask us to be objective—especially the average citizen—is increasingly difficult and almost nearly impossible. For our case today, most people voted in favor of the prosecution, but I think that if the case had been one without a jury it would have swung in favor of the defendant.”
One important lesson that a student realized was that people can se the exact same thing and interpret it in one hundred different ways.
Experiences like the one I had tonight remind that there are people at IUP that genuinely care about teaching other students about diversity and challenging them to confront their own biases. The Defamation Experience is such a unique play that is relevant and allows students and faculty to effectively communicate about issues and I highly recommend it!
For more information about The Defamation Experience visit their website here.