There comes a time in every law student’s life when he or she must come face to face with some of the more uncomfortable truths about their chosen path: long hours, ethical dilemmas, tricky workplace politics, and the vice-laden path to making partner await each of us. These realizations are difficult to come to terms with, and will be even more difficult to navigate once we are thrust into the world of legal practice. Grappling with the reality of our profession is something each of us should make an honest effort to do (or not, if you took the advice offered in Turn it Off). It’s an activity best undertaken thoroughly gin-soaked, riled up, and surrounded by your colleagues, collectively channeling the energy typically reserved for summaries and cover letters into one of the most hilarious and rousing nights Osgoode sees all year. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mock Trial.
[Swelling orchestral music followed by an extended drumroll, courtesy of Mock Trial percussionist and band director Roger McIntosh]
Karolina: I’m still not sure what stood out more –the incredible energy and positivity that permeated through Osgoode’s halls before, during, and after Mock Trial (the building was practically buzzing with collegiality and camaraderie, the stress of our daily lives having seemingly dissipated for one blissful evening), or the show itself, which was unbelievably well performed and produced. We may be a bunch of over-worked, perpetually exhausted, and invariably spread thin law students, but you’d never know it from watching Mock Trial. Not only did it have gusto, the live music, dancing, singing, and acting were all far more polished than they should have been given our packed schedules. Put simply, all elements of Mock Trial were top-notch, and y’all made it look easy.
Having been blessed with 8:30 am classes five days a week, I thought it best to attend the more tame of the two nights. Consequently, while I can only speak to Wednesday’s performance, the faint but discernible smell of stale beer throughout Gowlings Hall on Friday morning told me that Thursday evening’s show lived up to its legacy.
Kendall: It certainly did. (With respect to 8:30 am classes five days a week, a lesson for you 1Ls: avoid these like the plague. Seriously, like you’re running for your life from 28 Days Later-style zombies in a The Road-style apocalypse.) There are precious few moments in a packed year that leave me more glowing with pride at the efforts of my colleagues than the two evenings of Mock Trial. Amidst the inevitable chaos, dozens of ambitious future lawyers set their academic interests aside for two months in service of a higher cause: the creation of five hours of Broadway-level enchantment.
Karolina: Though each number had noteworthy qualities, we simply can’t canvass each individual one. Consequently, our review here will be woefully incomplete, offering just a snapshot of the whole. Caveats aside, the Mean Judges digital skit which opened the show was unbelievably on point. It’s become somewhat of a clichéthat “law school is just like high school, only harder.”Kate Henley and Christopher West saw that trite truism and raised it one scathing, satirical treatment. The result was fantastic. I expect Alessia Crescenzi’s Beverley McLachlin to go down in Mock Trial history.
Kendall: The conceit of Mean Girls sprinkled with liberal literary doses of Kate Henley & Christopher West + the acting genius of three incredible women + JC as LeBel and JF as Nadon = an explosive combination. It’s a testament to the minds behind Mock Trial that it takes some of the most controversial legal developments of the year and spins them into comedic gold for our amusement and edification.
Karolina: And where would Mock Trial be without the beloved Midweek Update? Doug Judson and Allison Williams reprised their roles as deadpan newscasters, leaving no ripe-for-ridicule legal stone unturned. Canvassing everything from the Ghomeshi scandal to ever-climbing tuition rates, the skit was as topical and as it was hilarious, reminding us why it has earned recognition as a Mock Trial favourite.
Kendall: Speaking of Mock Trial favourites, Professors Trevor Farrow and Allan Hutchinson did justice to the tradition of “surprise”faculty performances with a belting rendition of AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long,”twisted to reflect the now-unknowable pains of grading seventy-five exams from Osgoode students over Christmas break (I still can’t imagine Alan Young navigating a whopping six thousand pages of material in such a short time period, but my hat goes off to him). They even returned for Thursday night!
And as far as favourites go, let’s not forget Drunk Cases, the infamous ritual of asking inebriated Osgoode students to recount the tiniest details (or broad strokes) of a case from the Supreme Court of Canada, usually involving alcohol. This year’s depiction of 2012’s R v Maybin, in which a barroom altercation turned third party intervention ultimately resulted in death, was a dramatic and deliriously entertaining way to spend several minutes of the second half.
Karolina: Also meriting special mention was the flawlessly executed The All-Nighter. The bleak hopelessness of night-before cramming is something each of us can relate to, and the impossibility of staying away from YouTube hit a little too closer to home than I’d like to admit. The acting was excellent, with manically-focused study group leader Kortney Shapiro putting on a brilliant rendition of the hard-nosed, no-nonsense determination it takes to get through eighty cases in seven hours.
Kendall: Eighty cases in seven hours? Yikes, let’s talk about something else. Hands down, my favourite sketch of the night likely also hit close to home for eager front-row participants everywhere: Markus Liik’s Top Gunner. The dapper Adam DiSimine and the chic Lillianne Cadieux-Shaw collided in spectacular fashion, making their mark with cool bravado and premier witty repartee, the caustic one-liners tossed between them stinging like shards of glass wrapped in cotton. The Facebook-surfing, nonchalant “slacker”(read: typical student), played with fanatical gusto by Raphael Jacob, completed a powerful trifecta. It was a definite highlight.
Karolina: Though the choreography was dazzling throughout, it really got its chance to shine in North York Funk, a celebration of commuting that reimagined Mark Ronson’s current hit, Uptown Funk (which may or may not be playing on repeat as I write this review). Choreographers Kate, Krista, Stephanie M., and Stephanie O. put their skills on display as the Mock Trial dancers got down. I mean really, who doesn’t love a little ’80s funk? The energy was infectious, and the dance moves (did I spy a running man!?) were rad. It was the perfect performance to tie up the first half, and sent us off to the JCR in great spirits.
Kendall: And great spirits were in even greater supply on Thursday night, where North York Funk lit up the room for a second time, to rowdier applause. It’s always a good call to end Acts I and II of a production with large-scale dance numbers; when the calibre is so high, it’s the cherry on top of a delicious creative sundae.
Karolina: By now, the Mock Trial Band is famous for its members’talent, musicality, and stamina. I knew all of this, but was nonetheless stunned by the sheer excellence of their performance. MTB brings so much of the energy that Mock Trial is known for, and though they don’t always take centre stage, Mock Trial just wouldn’t be Mock Trial without them. The musical segues between acts helped keep momentum going and ensured that there were no lags or dull moments. Especially memorable were knock-out covers of “All of the Lights,”as well as the Game of Thrones theme. But most memorable of all was the Band Showcase. Covering “Don’t Stop Believing,”MTB was after my own heart; I was sold as soon as the opening notes rang out into the audience.
Kendall: On Wednesday, I watched the glorious Band Showcase from the second row; on Thursday, I watched it from the balcony with the cast, and both times the electric energy from the stage was palpable. Based on the number of shout-outs from the crowd (and the downright emptiness that would result from the lack of a score), it is undeniable: MTB is one of the core elements of a successful Mock Trial. Roger, Ira, Maryam, Zorn, Jaimie, Jordan, Josh, Kwaku, and Alvin: you performed your roles with flair, dexterity, and humility. You’ll always know you’re the backbone of this collaborative production.
Karolina: No one –and I mean no one –does psychotic devil-on-your-shoulder better than Jean-Paul Bevilacqua and Allison Williams. Bad Idea Bears was one of the most hilarious, riotous, rollicking parts of the night, and my only complaint is that it was over way too soon.
Kendall: I’ll take partial responsibility for that. I had at least a few conversations with JP (one of the three wonderfully talented producers of the show, as well as one-half of the Bears) during which I assured him that the 4+-hour version of Mock Trial from 1L was a bit on the long side. He promised to be especially stubborn and put his foot down in the (figurative) cutting room. In my view, the results speak for themselves. A note to future producers: find another JP/Allison pair (though I don’t envy your task), because Bad Idea Bears should be a staple in Mock Trial shows for years to come.
Karolina: Mock Trial’s sketches get lots of attention, but much of the satire and self-awareness regarding the sometimes absurd profession we’re getting ourselves into is expressed so eloquently in the song covers. Especially notable was I’m Not the Only One, where the cast lamented the unrequited affection that typically plagues students during OCIs. Ali Pester opened the song –where have you been hiding that voice, girl!? The resemblance to Lana Del Rey was uncanny, and Pester pulled off the scorned, deflated, over-interviewed schitck perfectly.
Kendall: Damn, that woman can sing; she’s a Del Rey in the making. Her breakout is an example of one of the many things I love about Mock Trial: it reminds us that our community of intellectually astute individuals is also filled with pools of artistic genius, just waiting to be tapped. Mock Trial provides that opportunity. Kudos to Joseph, Danielle, Vanessa, and Jon for helping vocal greatness to flourish across the board.
I want to draw similar attention to Attention Span,a clever riff on Elton John’s classic “Rocket Man.”Written by Osgoode’s very own triple-threats Lillianne Cadieux-Shaw and Jon Silver, this five-piece ensemble targeted at law students’inability to focus and notorious tendency to procrastinate was beautifully orchestrated, paying homage to a musical legend and transforming a song we’d heard countless times before into an ode to our existence in the library and beyond. I think it’s going to be a long, long time before we see such a unique marriage of form and content at Mock Trial.
Karolina: We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the annual glitter-covered fest that is the Mance. Magic Mike has nothing on the Osgoode mancers, who took over the Diva Medley that was already underway with a stunning reinterpretation of the Destiny’s Child classic “Survivor.” It was beyond awesome seeing a group of men going H.A.M. to the music of Queen Bey, who has become (deservedly or not) somewhat of a feminist icon. But whatever feminist victory could have been claimed was quickly shut down by Raphael’s ineffable Mister Avenger in the Social Justice League skit that followed. Turn down for no one, Mister Avenger – if only because I’ll never get bored of watching you go toe to toe with Aneesha Lewis’ hard-hitting Fymynysta.
For the final send off, Mock Trial’s theme this year, Divas, came full circle for the closing number, a mash-up of Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off,”and Britney Spears’ “Toxic.”It was the perfect, positive note to end the night off on. In the words of writer Joseph and the Mock Trial cast: “’Cause the graders gonna grade, grade, grade, grade, grade/…And the aces get their A’s, A’s, A’s, A’s, A’s/It’s toxic, just lighten up.” Well said, Mock Trial, well said.
Kendall: Mock Trial has built up an impressive reputation over the years, and it’s been said that it never fails to deliver. I would go a step further: despite an unforgivingly competitive profession and audience members with unbelievably high standards (no matter how intoxicated), Mock Trial consistently raises the bar.
**Editorial Note: The Obiter Dicta wishes to congratulate producers Jean-Paul Bevilacqua, Stephanie Marchello, and Brittany Ross-Fichtner, as well as the technical crew, stage and business managers, acting and vocal directors, choreographers, writers, and amazing cast for their hard work and a stellar final product.