…that nearly went forgotten
Something horrible almost happened, Mock Trial was almost forgotten in the Obiter Dicta.
Mock Trial is one of, if not the biggest events every year at Osgoode. A simple Google search proves it: “Mock Trial Osgoode Hall” brings up Obiter Dicta recap articles that go back to 2011, with one as recently as last year.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been looking forward for this year’s recap since the second week of February. How disappointed I’ve been to see that Mock Trial has passed on without some offering of immortality.
I will not let my last year at Osgoode go down as the one that missed the opportunity to write about Mock Trial. Who cares if I was in it? Someone’s gotta put this year down in history.
Speaking of history, what a way to begin a 90s themed night than by starting with an energetic ensemble of this year’s Mock Trial execs. Long-time executive member Danielle Knight and 2L Madeleine Brown did an impressive job at bringing together this big, bubbly group of people responsible for making the show happen.
The first skit of the show was Washed Up 90s Support Group, where we saw our very own bring 90s heroes like Topanga (could Kortney Shapiro have been any more perfect for that part?) and the Olsen Twins (thanks for making “you got it, dude!” a thing again) to life. Don’t tell me you didn’t die inside when Harjot Dosanjh busted out her take of Steve Irkel—Did I do that? Oh man, did she ever!
What a surprise Harjot was this year! From her role as C3PO in Raphael Jacob’s Social Justice Wars to absolutely killing the Elaine dance in Dan Cook’s Seinfeld, Harjot’s performances should go down in Mock Trial history.
With the aid of Harjot’s dancing & walkman playing, Seinfeld was an instant Mock Trial classic. The skit was so popular its props are now in high demand (shout-out to Justin Philpott on his Judgees t-shirts—best way to introduce a product to its audience, I’d say). This skit, in my opinion, was flawless: from the tees, the stripping George (care of Ivan Ivkovic), Milomir Strbac’s Oscar-worthy fat-suit performance as Newman, to the bang-on character portrayals done by Michael Thorburn and Jakub Schnitizler, the skit about nothing was everything, and more.
Another skit-favourite was Erica Whitford’s Friends. The casting on this was absolute perfection: I could not imagine a better Phoebe than Mock Trial wunderkind Brittany Ross-Fichtner; Erin Garbett was great as fashion-obsessed Rachel; Marco Ciarlariello as the sandwich-eating Joey was instantly hilarious (I can personally confirm: the laughs had been going since rehearsals); Milomir is up again as a perfectly down-trodden Ross; and Russ Hall as the snide-talking, quip-throwing Chandler. But I think I speak on behalf of many when I say that Alessia Crescenzi’s version of Janice was so memorable, you might have forgotten who her original Queen B was (Alessia was Chief Justice Bev McLachlan in last year’s Mean Girls-esque skit).
It was great to see some newcomers take the stage this year. I already mentioned Harjot’s scene-stealing performances, but another 3L who came out of nowhere was Kira Domratchev, who dazzled in her ditzy/silly/adorable rendition of Sabrina the Teenage Witch in Sabrina: The OCI Disaster. Then there’s Russ performing a Mock Trial hat trick with ease (acting, playing an instrument AND mancing!), what an incredibly talented student body we have! I could go on all day.
Not to be forgotten, the songs were all incredible this year, each one equally as entertaining as the next. Rachel Fielding’s billowy “Oh Blaney’s, Blaney’s” from Call Me One More Time still sends a shiver up my spine. Madeleine Brown and Vanessa Carroll’s No Studyin’ – the 3L Motto was a personal favourite. Ben Fulton’s beat was so on point; it added a whole other layer to the song. Lape’s smooth “shorty get down” still rings through my head. Bethany McKoy & Shakaira John brought the song home by reminding everyone how much their musical pairing will be missed next year. Can’t imagine a Mock Trial without these two.
The dancing was so strong this year too, from Bye Bye Bye to the Mance—seriously, the choreography was so tight! The boys took the Mance to a whole other level.
I wish I had more time to talk about every number. Everything made an impression in some way: Kortney and Erica’s playful take on Sabrina’s aunts; Jordan Fine’s super cool segue; Alessandra Hollands, John Wu, Victoria Mitrova and Justin Toh’s awesome (and a little too real) light sabre fight; all the lovely ladies who beautifully sang The Time, Torn and Don’t Go Chasing Bay Street Jobs; all the other ladies that absolutely rocked Don’t Speak (amen!); the quirky beginning of Bye Bye Bye; the TTC reality depicted in 500 Miles; the party scene in National Geographic (again, things got real); the graphics and whole set-up of OJ (just brilliant). I wish I could go into each in detail. The main takeaway is that every person who contributed to this show was brilliant, and it truly showed.
I think the best note to end this off on is Let’s go to Pub Night Again, a number directed by Danielle Knight and Dan Cook that really got to the heart of Mock Trial – what having the most fun looks like, as a result of the hard work and creativity of some truly gifted people.
None of this would’ve been possible without the producers of the show: Brittany, Stephanie Marcello and Krista Antonio. On behalf of everyone, thank you for putting together a solid performance with grace and endless pizazz. You guys worked so hard yet somehow made it look so easy.
And thanks to Obiter Dicta for printing this. Now, I can graduate.