The Trial

The Trial, first published in 1925, tells the story of one man’s unfortunate encounter with an irrational, all-powerful judicial system. Director Rene Migliaccio’s world-premiere adaptation, set in the wake of 9/11, explores how a democratic society blindly assigns guilt or innocence to people on the basis of their race. “The Trial shows that any society can become totalitarian. No one is immune to the arbitrary and changeable judgment of society and its ability to polarize individuals against one another,” says Migliaccio.

In adapting Franz Kafka’s novels for the stage, director Rene Migliaccio blends “Expressionistic Realism,” original music, dance, and black & white film shot in the German Expressionistic style to create a unique theatrical/cinematic hybrid. Each production strives to create an immediate interaction between theatre and cinema: creating synergy between the actors on stage and the ones on film.

The Trial is being presented by Black Moon Theatre Company as part of The Kafka Series; it is scheduled to perform in repertory with The Metamorphosis.