Clevinger's Trial

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Clevinger's Trial is a 1973 short dark comedy play in one act by Joseph Heller.

Joseph Heller American author

Joseph Heller was an American author of novels, short stories, plays and screenplays. His best-known work is the novel Catch-22, a satire on war and bureaucracy, whose title has become a synonym for an absurd or contradictory choice.

Clevinger's Trial is based on Chapter 8 of Heller's novel Catch-22 . [1] It is excerpted from the 1971 play Catch-22 , [2] being cut from the original version of Catch-22 to shorten that play's running time and published as a separate one-act play, running about 15 minutes. [3]

<i>Catch-22</i> novel by the American author Joseph Heller

Catch-22 is a satirical novel by American author Joseph Heller. He began writing it in 1953; the novel was first published in 1961. Often cited as one of the most significant novels of the twentieth century, it uses a distinctive non-chronological third-person omniscient narration, describing events from the points of view of different characters. The separate storylines are out of sequence so the timeline develops along with the plot.

Catch-22 is a satirical play by the American author Joseph Heller, first produced in 1971 and based on his novel of the same name.

The play is a satire of institutional justice. [4] The action, which is a close copy of the same scene in the novel Catch-22, [3] concerns a kangaroo court court-martial of air cadet Clevinger on various nonsensical charges. Lieutenant Scheisskopf (English:Shithead) [4] is both prosecutor and defender, and also one of the judges and Clevinger's commanding officer. During the trial Scheisskopf rises in rank while almost everyone else present (including the court stenographer) is found guilty of something and sentenced to punishment. [2] [5]

Kangaroo court

A kangaroo court is a court that ignores recognized standards of law or justice, and often carries little or no official standing in the territory within which it resides. The term may also apply to a court held by a legitimate judicial authority who intentionally disregards the court's legal or ethical obligations. The defendants in such courts are often denied access to legal representation and in some cases, proper defence.

A court-martial or court martial is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment. In addition, courts-martial may be used to try prisoners of war for war crimes. The Geneva Convention requires that POWs who are on trial for war crimes be subject to the same procedures as would be the holding military's own forces. Finally, courts-martial can be convened for other purposes, such as dealing with violations of martial law, and can involve civilian defendants.

Clevinger's Trial was produced in London in 1974, [5] and in 1993 by the Griffin Theatre Company of Chicago, where critic Jack Helbig decried the short running time as the "worst deal in Chicago late-night theater... no sooner do we become adjusted to Heller's satirical-absurdist universe with its thinly veiled attacks on cold-war paranoia than the play's over." [3]

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References

  1. ↑ "Clevinger's Trial (from Catch-22). A Play in One Act. By Joseph Heller. Based on Chapter 8 from his Novel Catch-22". Abe Books. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Clevinger's Trial (From CATCH 22)". Samuel French. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Jack Helbig (March 25, 1993). "Drinking in America/Clevinger's Trial". Chicago Reader. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Catch-22, Summary and Analysis Chapters 7-8". Cliff's Notes. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Clevinger's Trial (From CATCH 22)". Biz Books. Retrieved February 7, 2017.

Further reading

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The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier which is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency.

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