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Just Cause: The Experience
Written by award-winning playwrights Lisa Dillman and Todd Logan, your audience will engage together as a jury, requiring them to lean in and not only decide the fate of the plaintiff and the defendant but, more importantly, contemplate the most pressing social issues of today.
Launched in the summer of 2021, this brand-new program is already making an impact at colleges & universities, law firms, and businesses large and small.
The Case
Here’s The Story:
After a shameful exit for Midwest Repertory Theatre’s Artistic Director, a national search brings in Ms. Madison Loew to fill the role, offering a public gender diversification move. She hires several women and flips the gender ratio on its head—but hasn’t brought about greater diversity for people of color at the organization.
Following allegations posted online from a former employee, questions arise about Ms. Loew’s commitment to diversity beyond gender. Even more comes to light about controversial work at her previous theatre company, after which she’s fired for “racial insensitivity.” Now she’s suing for breach of contract.
With this arbitration hearing set in 2021, we hear from Ms. Loew and MRT’s representative, Mr. Jedediah Trant, about the impact of what we’re all living with and living through right now – the death of George Floyd, women’s rights, protests for social justice, cancel culture, even workplace diversity conversations and trainings.
At the end, the judge sums up the testimony and turns to your audience to decide the outcome of the case. Were Ms. Loew’s attitudes and behavior reason enough to fire her? Or should her contract stand, even given the alleged racial insensitivity? That’s for each audience to decide.
Preview Scenes
The Discussion
Let’s Go Deeper…
In every Canamac Experience, the civility and openness to conversation in mixed company carries through from the Deliberation into the Discussion. After being invested in the story of Ms. Loew vs. MRT, audience members are now led by our facilitator through a conversation that focuses on them instead of the characters in the play. Participants explore how these topics play out in their own lives—as individuals, or as members of your organization and community.
With Just Cause, we often talk about race, gender, and social justice, but so much more, including: fighting for multiple, sometimes competing causes, cancel culture and social media, incremental vs. systemic change, experiences of LGBTQIA+ people, growing up in immigrant families, differing abilities or neurodivergences, an organization’s role in diversity, and being marginalized or misunderstood at work. Conversation isn’t limited to what Ms. Loew or Mr. Trant had to say; we’re ready to talk about whatever is on the hearts and minds the people that make up your organization. And it’s all designed to guide them toward the goals and objectives you tell us about for your group.
Ready to bring this compelling, fully immersive experience to your organization?