From The Peck School:
Todd Logan has been writing plays and films since 1998. He is especially proud of Defamation, which was inspired by a personal experience years ago that shined a harsh light on the lack of diversity in his own life. He decided to write a play that he hoped would encourage greater tolerance and understanding by spurring self-examination and promoting civil discourse.
That play has now made the rounds of over 200 theaters, high schools, colleges, law schools, bar associations, houses of worship, and civic organizations. As part of Defamation’s 2015 National Tour, the cast joined students at The Peck School in Morristown this week for a gripping performance and a lively post-play discussion between the actors, students, and teachers.
Kimm Beavers (Tour Manager and Associate Producer) led the after-play discourse and as she concluded the talk with Peck’s sixth-to-eighth graders she exclaimed, “You all asked great questions and made great comments. This discussion was better than ones we have had with most college students!”
The conversation after the performance centered on whether the young students agreed with or opposed the defamation lawsuit in the play brought by an entrepreneurial businesswoman against a powerful businessman. She claims her business was destroyed when he falsely accused her of theft and, despite a lack of evidence, convinced another client to sever their business ties.
Although the dramatic defamation trial is the heart of the play, its soul is its racial tension. The entrepreneur has worked her whole life to overcome a poor upbringing, build a business, and eventually attain the self-confidence to ignore “the look that a black person gets when they enter a room.”
The wealthy businessman has inherited all his power and wealth, lives in an all white suburb, and cherishes his exclusive country club connections and Jewish heritage.
The trial produces no evidence of theft, but it raises suspicions. The lawyers each insist that the opposing party is motivated by racial prejudice. The arguments and the carefully crafted plot force viewers into the role of juror. The play culminates with the judge facing the audience and polling them for opinions. Ultimately, everyone must choose a side. No one can remain undecided.
Upper School English Teacher and Department Chair Sarah Chan applied for a grant from The Peck School Parent Association to make the performance possible. The Parent Association awards grants based on the potential to enhance teaching and learning at the school with distinctive and notable student experiences.
Students will continue to discuss the play and associated topics as one of a variety of components in The Peck’s School’s award-winning program — InDeCoRe (Individual Development Community Responsibility).
Those who are interested in promoting civil discourse on issues related to race could visit DefamationThePlay.com for more information.
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The Peck School is a co-ed, independent, K-8 day school in Morristown NJ with a century-old reputation for academic excellence and emphasis on character formation. With a 6:1 student-to-teacher ratio, The Peck School strives to build in each student the capacity for disciplined learning and consideration of others, while preparing students to succeed in secondary school and to lead healthy, productive, and principled lives.
Find bright beginnings in our Lower School (Grades K-4) and a tradition of leadership in our Upper School (Grades 5-8). Learn more at www.peckschool.org, or call our Admissions office at 973-539-8660 x 108.
