For those who just cant get enough coverage of the Supreme Court, its members, and its potential members: The July/August issue of American Theatre, the national monthly magazine, contains an article by yours truly about several Supreme Court members participating in a D.C. theater companys annual mock trials of literary characters.Think its all work and no play to be on the nationals highest tribunal? I thought so too until I attended Malvolios Revenge, an April event mounted by Washingtons Shakespeare Theatre Company. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Samuel A. Alito and Stephen G. Breyer, and five other Beltway lawyers, presided over a tongue-in-cheek trial based on Shakespeares Twelfth Night.Alas, I cannot link to the article, since the magazine isnt posting the text online. But heres a link to the magazines website. (Full disclosure: From 1999 to 2004, I was American Theatres managing editor.)Who knows? If Judge Sonia Sotomayor is confirmed and joins the Nine, she too may someday be involved in these mock trials, ruling on the culpability of Hamlet and similar Bard-based legal issues.Heres a bit of Supreme Court trivia I didnt work into the article. In a phone interview, Ruth Bader Ginsburgwho is a huge Shakespeare fan, and regularly participates in the mock trialstold me her favorite Shakespeare plays include Richard III and Henry V.

Celia Wren is Commonweal’s media and stage critic.

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