Wednesday, May 24, 2023

All Things Equal: The Life and Trials of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

 

Image found here

I always admired Ruth Bader Ginsburg from the moment I learned who she was. I was especially enamored after watching the documentary RBG, which highlighted not only her esteemed career but also her loving and devoted family life.

This performance does the same thing. Michelle Azar plays RBG in this one-woman show, and for nearly two hours she is up on stage on her own filling some figuratively big shoes (I assume Ginsburg's real feet were quite tiny for such a petite woman). She mimics the late Supreme Court Justice's mannerisms, especially in speaking slowly and deliberately when giving oral arguments. She worked the stage well (set as the Justice's chambers), and her costume changes were seamless (I especially enjoyed when she was wearing a bright pink workout jacket). I also thought it was fun when she broke the fourth wall, treating the audience like a friend of her granddaughter who is in the office interviewing the Justice for a history project. I thought Azar did a wonderful job of embodying the late Justice.

Throughout the show, images and videos were played on a big screen, such as pictures of abolitionists like Susan B. Anthony, former and current Supreme Court Justices (i.e. a lot of old white men), and this "music video" featuring Kate McKinnon from Saturday Night Live:

I am always impressed by one-person plays (read my blog post about Becoming Dr. Ruth), and this one did not disappoint. But if you have had seen the documentary about her, or even the biopic On The Basis of Sex, I'm not sure you need to see this show, since you already know the story!

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