Meet MARRANO JUSTICE Playwright Joel Levin

From the Program:

MARRANO JUSTICE author Joel Levin is a successful lawyer, entrepreneur and academic from Cleveland, Ohio. He heads a small commercial law firm, Levin & Associates, which specializes in representing individuals and small businesses in contract disputes, commercial litigation, and securities matters. He also is the founder of Think-A-Move and Milicom, two allied software and hardware development companies which design and create specialized equipment for the military, medical and telephone sectors. Finally, Mr Levin has held professorships at various universities in the United States and Europe, and, since 1982, at Case Western Reserve, both in its Law School and its Department of Philosophy. He has taught courses in Philosophy of Law, European History, Jurisprudence, Ethics, Contract Theory, Russian Law, Professional Responsibility and a variety of other fields.
Mr Levin received his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Chicago, and also held the position of University Ombudsman under then President, and later Attorney General of the United States Edward Levi. He received his J.D. from Boston University, where he delivered the graduation address on structural flaws in legal logic. He attended Oxford University, obtaining his Doctorate in Law and Philosophy. His thesis, later published as a book on the structure of legal reasoning, analyzes such reasoning with that of semantics, philosophy of science and the theory of mathematics.
Mr Levin has written and lectured widely. He has authored three books: How Judges Reason, Revolution, Institutions and Law, and Tort Wars, as well as dozens of articles. He has lectured and published extensively both in law and philosophy, with occasional diversions into the fields of engineering, constitutional adjudication and human rights. He twice lived and taught in Russia, under State Department auspices, lecturing both students and judges on the principles of commercial law and legal theory. His latest work, MARRANO JUSTICE, a play about the life of Justice Benjamin Cardozo, illustrates the textured strands of reasoning Cardozo brought to the Supreme Court and to life from an older Greek and Sephardic tradition that offers new solutions to intractable problems.

Press Release for "MARRANO JUSTICE," opening this Thursday, Sept. 9 at Canyon Moon Theatre

World Premier at Canyon Moon

 

   Benjamin Cardozo, was an extraordinary Hispanic/Jewish judge, whose tenure on the Supreme Court still influences the laws we live by today. And yet, his story is unknown to most of the people who benefit from his work. Marrano Justice presents a riveting vision of the tensions and difficulties of race, freedom, love and dignity – framed by flashbacks and hauntingly beautiful Ladino music. Cardozo’s story echoes many of the themes at play in our country today.

The world premier of Marrano Justice runs at Canyon Moon September 9 through 12 and September 23 through 26. When Cardozo is visited by Torquemada, the 15th Century Spanish Inquisitor who expelled Arabs, Moors and Cardozo’s Jewish ancestors from Spain and Portugal, a tense dialogue begins as each of these men seeks purpose and vindication for the events of the Inquisition. These scenes alternate with scenes of the complex family and professional life of Cardozo and powerful images recalling medieval Cordoba, Spain and the Jim Crow South. Marrano Justice culminates with the Justices of the Supreme Court hearing the case of the Scottsboro boys – the seminal civil rights affair of the era.

Playwright Joel Levin, a resident of Cleveland, Ohio, is a successful lawyer, entrepreneur, author and academic. Since 1982, he has taught at Case Western Reserve, both in its Law School and its Department of Philosophy. Mr. Levin has authored three books – How Judges Reason; Revolution, Institutions and Law and Tort Wars as well as dozens of articles.

Mark DeMichele (Benjamin Cardozo) most recently appeared in the critically acclaimed production of Secret Order for Actors Theatre of Phoenix and in the world premiere and surprise box office success of Parted Waters for Arizona Jewish Theatre. He has played on stages throughout the country and appeared in CMT’s hit show Nixon’s Nixon as Henry Kissinger. Mark is currently on the web as a reporter for TheDailyAdvantage.com.

A former college professor and Head Trainer for Anthony Robbins, Robert Bays (Torquemeda) spent ten years as an actor in New York. Bob was featured on Broadway in Tennessee Williams’ last play, Clothes for a Summer Hotel, directed by Jose Quintero, starring Geraldine Page. For CMT, Bob played the Trying and Chapter Two as well as directing Twelfth Night. The cast is rounded out by Michelle Lambeau (Nell Cardozo), Craig Hartley (Learned Hand) and newcomers Dion Johnson (Irving Lehman) and Jamie Maletz (Kate).

Michelle is an actress whose love of the theatre shows in her work as an actress, playwright and director. Her theatre blog, The Lucky Wig, details theatre doings in the Verde Valley and offers an interesting insight into backstage life.

Craig Hartley played Malvolio in CMT’s production of Twelfth Night and was formerly a company member at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington D. C.

Dion Johnson is an actor who moves easily between the worlds of musical theatre and drama. His next role is the father in Hairspray at Phoenix Theatre.

Jamie Maletz recently moved to Sedona from Boston. She has written four musicals, one of which was fully produced.

Several events are planned around the presentation of Marrano Justice including a dinner at the Marketplace Café featuring Sephardic food. Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Greece, Egypt, Britain, Holland, Italy, Mexico, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania…and so many others have had an influence on Sephardic cooking, a centuries-old, international cuisine with its roots in the Jewish traditions of pre-Inquisition Spain and Portugal.

Wherever the Sephardic (Judeo-Spanish) people migrated, their cooking adapted to the techniques, tastes and ingredients found in new lands, while always remaining true to ancient cultural traditions.  Join us for a special evening when the Marketplace Cafe features a Sephardic menu with a Spanish influence following the play on September 12. For reservations, call MPC at 284-5478.

Marrano Justice plays Thursday, September 9 through Saturday, September 12 and again September 23 through 26.  Tickets are $19 general admission.  Full-time student are $11. To purchase tickets, call CMT at 928-282-6212. Tickets are also available at Rycus’ Corners and Marketplace Café in the VOC and at Basha’s in West Sedona. Thursday through Saturday shows are at 7:30 p.m.  Sunday performances are at 3 p.m. Canyon Moon Theatre is located in the Oak Creek Factory Outlets, next to Village Pet Supply and Grooming, on Highway 179 in the Village of Oak Creek.