Arguendo by Elevator Repair Service was an entertaining dance through the Supreme Court case of Barnes v. Glen Theatre. By taking liberties with tone and delivery, they managed to turn the transcript of a courtroom trial into an interesting, if at times dense, show.

Photo credit: Joan Marcus

I particularly enjoyed the unconventional dance moves performance by the judges in their wheeled office chairs. Engaging, too, was the projection of precedent: a wall of legal cases that zoomed in and out and swiped side to side as needed. However, the precedential cases were scrolled to in such a purposeful manner that you expected, if not hoped, that they were intended to shed some additional light on the content of the show — subtitles of sorts, if you will. In effect, they very rarely did so. Most court cases cited had no more on screen then their name date and a few identifying numbers. When larger sections of text were shown on screen, it was difficult to read through it fast enough and with the density of the dialogue happening simultaneously, impossible to multitask.

As the show reached its frantic and boundary-pushing climax, they made some admirable points about movement and communication in an entertaining and clever way. However, with the opinion of the theater company so clearly presented in the subtext of the show, it was indeed surprising to learn of the justices final decision. Given the fact that they upheld the law requiring pasties and g-strings, I think it would have been interesting and perhaps more in keeping with the feel of the show to explore the decision and the aftermath of the decision.

While I admit the ending felt rushed, I did enjoy the epilogue – Ruth Bader Ginsberg speaking about her collars- and the implication that perhaps the men feared that full female nudity might somehow overshadow them.

Photo credit: Joan Marcus