Execution of Justice (Masterplots II: Drama, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Emily Mann
- First Published: 1986
- Type of Plot: Epic theater; history
- Time of Work: 1978-1984
- Setting: San Francisco, California
- Principal Characters: Dan White, Court, Douglas Schmidt, Thomas Norton, Sister Boom Boom, Cop, Dianne Feinstein
- Genres: Social realism, Drama, History play, Epic theater
- Subjects: Justice, 1970’s, Homosexuality or homosexuals, Murder or homicide, Twentieth century, Prejudices or antipathies, 1980’s, Assassination, San Francisco, Toleration, Courts or courtrooms
- Locales: San Francisco, CA
The Play
Execution of Justice is a two-act play centered on the 1978 murders of George Moscone, the mayor of San Francisco, and board of supervisors member Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in the United States. Much of the play is set in the courtroom at the first-degree murder trial of Dan White, the man accused of the murders. In the scenes of White’s trial, it becomes increasingly clear that justice is being “executed”—not in the sense of being carried out, but in the sense of being destroyed—by the wily defense lawyer and the biased...
[The entire page is 1890 words long]
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