Trial of the Catonsville Nine, Feb. 10-12
December 15, 2010
Contact: University Relations
Phone: 410.837.5739
The Trial of the Catonsville Nine, Daniel Berrigan's depiction of the trial in which he and eight others were accused of destroying federal property and interfering with the Selective Service Act, will be staged at the University of Baltimore on Feb. 10-12 as part of the University's Spotlight UB live performance series. Directed by Raine Bode, the play is a moving, sometimes haunting examination of not only the anti-war movement during the Vietnam era, but of the connections between morality, religious conviction and civil disobedience. It will be performed beginning at 7 p.m. each day, in UB's Student Center Performing Arts Theater, 21 W. Mt. Royal Ave. (Attendance details below.)
Catonsville Nine's cast is a mixture of campus and local actors, in keeping with Spotlight UB's dedication to community outreach. The play, conceived by Berrigan as a free verse including part of the transcript of the actual trial, was adapted for the stage by screenwriter and playwright Saul Levitt, and first produced on Broadway by the Phoenix Theatre in 1971.
Catonsville Nine is often used to prompt discussions about prejudice, tolerance and citizenship. A film version of the play, starring Gregory Peck, was made in 1972. Berrigan continues his activism today, as a contributing editor of Sojourners magazine and as a member of the Plowshares Movement.
In conjunction with the Catonsville Nine performances, Spotlight UB will host a panel discussion focusing on Baltimore's history of peaceful protest on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 5 p.m. in the Student Center's Bogomolny Room. The panel will be moderated by Alfred Guy, director of UB's Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics and associate professor in the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences. Find out more about it.
Tickets for The Trial of the Catonsville Nine are $15 for general admission, $10 for seniors, and $5 for UB students and alumni. Tickets are available at www.etix.com (search under University of Baltimore). Tickets can also be purchased at the venue beginning one hour prior to the performance.
Reduced rate parking is available on Spotlight UB event nights at the University's Maryland Avenue Garage, located on Maryland Avenue between Biddle and Chase streets, or at the Fitzgerald Garage on Oliver Street. A parking voucher will be provided at the box office, and the UB shuttle is available to transport patrons between the venue and the garage.
For more information about Spotlight UB, go to www.ubalt.edu/spotlightub or send an e-mail to spotlightub@ubalt.edu.
The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the School of Law, the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Public Affairs and the Merrick School of Business.