Land of the Free by Diane Samuels

The 2019 Kalisher play reading was another world premiere, by Diane Samuels.

Land of the Free interrogates the conflict between personal and political love as seen in the context of political discourse in the United States from the hysteria of the McCarthy era to the year of the Twin Towers attack.  The play explores the true price of freedom and the cost of devoting one’s life to fighting for a more just world.

We were delighted welcome international screen and stage star, Cate Blanchett, to lead our company of actors

CAST LIST

Rosa Gold – Cate Blanchett
Bud – Martin Shaw
Joe Gold – Paul Herzberg
Heidi Menken – Lydia Leonard
Leon – Ako Mitchell
Ben Gold (aged 11) – Roman Upton
Ben Gold (early 40s) – David Osmond
Foley and Pianist – David Osmond
Guitar and vocalist – Hannah Blaikie
Additional voices and foley – Bea Harmston

Director – Joe Harmston

We are indebted to Distributed Sound & Video Ltd, Marilyn Kingwill photographer, and the numerous supporters whose quiet but vital aid makes this event possible.

Land of The Free by Diane Samuels

Date: 24 March 2019

Location: Middle Temple Hall

What the critics said:

“Absolutely riveting opportunity to watch a great actor grapple with a completely new and challenging character “live”.  The pared down format of the Kalisher productions lets the audience into the process so up close that you can almost hear the actors thinking and that draws you into the play.  If the play, as a Kalisher play always is, is potent and thought provoking nearly 200 people are focussed as one on the author’s intentions.  Land of the Free explored current hard questions of state power and revolution on an intensely human scale by reference to the USA of the last decades of the 20th century.”

Dominic Grieve MP

Middle Temple hall is used to theatricals — and not just from its barrister members.  In 1602 it was the venue for the first performance of Twelfth Night, and the Supreme Court president, Lady Hale, the former lord chief justice Lord Judge, and the head of criminal justice, Sir Brian Leveson, have all performed there.

But never before has it played host to a Hollywood A-lister yelling “F*** you”.

On Sunday evening Cate Blanchett graced the hall to star in the world premiere of The Land of the Free, a radio-style play performed to raise money for the Kalisher Trust, which helps students from non-traditional backgrounds to train for a career at the Bar.

READ MORE HERE

Catherine Baksi. Freelance journalist www.legalhackette.com

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