Berks Barrister Winter 2018 - 26

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From My Perspective

By John J. Duffy, III, Esquire

I

have grown to dislike the social
gathering known as the "Cocktail
Party." In making this statement, I
am, perhaps, showing my age as I am not
certain that such a term, which conveys
images of Martini glasses, hors d'oeuvres
of dubious provenance, miniature hot
dogs stabbed with colorful toothpicks,
turtleneck shirts worn under doublebreasted blazers, and the Dick Van Dyke
TV show, is in vogue any longer. (In fact,
the term "in vogue" is most likely not in
vogue any longer.)
My feelings toward cocktail parties,
however, are not based upon an adverse
reaction to any of these components of the
cocktail-party genre, save, perhaps, for the
turtleneck shirt, which requires a long neck
to pull off the effect (the mock turtleneck
simply will not do as a substitute!).
Rather, my objection stems from the
inanely stilted and pointless conversations
that one has at such affairs. "How long
did it take for you to get here?" "I took
95 because the Expressway is always a
disaster." "How about those Eagles!" "I
finally decided to have a podiatrist remove
those irritating corns." "I don't have
time to read books in the traditional way;
I listen to audiobooks at night in bed
until they put me to sleep." Eek! Just as
annoying is the fact that no one is listening
to anyone else anyway in any of these
brutal bursts of bad badinage.
I prefer the dinner party as the
platform-of-choice for meaningful,
intelligent conversation. One obvious
improvement that the dinner party boasts
over the cocktail party is the noise level
26 | Berks Barrister

of the room; one need not shout to be
heard. (It is a bit ironic that one might
find oneself to be screaming over the din
at a cocktail party to say something that
is entirely of no consequence.) Another
is that conversation of weight and merit,
in effective emulation of the great salons
hosted by women in the Enlightenment, is
given an opportunity to flourish, although
there is certainly no guarantee that this will
obtain. A good dinner party also allows for
some wonderful storytelling. Any host(ess)
of merit will ensure the attendance of
at least one guest who can carry the day
in this regard. (No, I'm not fishing for
invitations, but I might be available should
my calendar permit.)
Good storytelling is a work of verbal
artistry, but as is the case concerning any
art form, it requires the focused attention
of its intended beneficiaries. The degree
of attention, and thereby, the success of
the storytelling, is initially and primarily
the responsibility of the storyteller. The
storyteller must command the field, as it
were, and create a situation wherein those
to whom the tale is told readily desire to
listen with rapt attention. The storytelling
event should be dynamic, however, and the
teller should himself/herself be attentive
to the reactions of his/her audience. Most
stories told by accomplished storytellers
have almost certainly been told previously,
but every story told demands and deserves
its own moment. Certain aspects of the
story might be received more favorably
in one telling, and not so favorably in
another. The effective storyteller discerns
such reactions, and adjusts appropriately

to them by emphasizing, or not, those
aspects in each telling of the tale. And
yes, good storytelling, which admittedly is
most successful in the postprandial portion
of the repast, can compensate for fare
worthier in intent than quality.
Is not presenting a case in court a
form of storytelling, and akin to a stage
performance? Is it not so that in both
trial practice and stage acting a story is
being told to an audience - a judge and/
or jury in the former, and theatre-goers
in the latter? Is it not so that truth is an
essential element in the courtroom and
on stage, with truths being defined as the
facts and expert opinions in the former,
and the script in the latter? And is it not
so that success in conveying that truth to
judge and/or jury, and to an audience in a
theatre, depends in large measure upon the
techniques and abilities of the attorney and
the actor? Recently, I happily had occasion
to discuss these matters with my dear
cousin Gene Terruso, who has had a long
and distinguished career in the theatre and
in academia.
Gene Terruso has produced and
directed in American regional theatres,
on Broadway, and internationally. He
has worked in film, on television, and
on stage. He served as president of the
American Academy of Dramatic Arts,
New York and Hollywood, and as director
of the Professional Training Program at
the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
During his tenure as Artistic Director
of NYC's Provincetown Playhouse, he
won an Obie Award. He is a two-time
Fulbright awardee, and a recipient of the


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Berks Barrister Winter 2018

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