Jury of Her Peers film screening and Q&A - Varsity Cinema Des Moines
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Presented in partnership with Drake University English Department’s Susan Glaspell Writers & Critics Series.
An Iowa murder mystery, inspired by one of Drake University’s most prestigious alumni, Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright Susan Glaspell. Her short story “Jury of Her Peers” – still taught in high school and college classes today – was based on her reporting of the still unsolved 1900 murder of John Hossack. Followed by a moderated Q&A with cast, crew, and Drake faculty.
"Jury of Her Peers" is an award-winning murder mystery with a comedic twist that highlights an eerie true-crime case from deep in the turn-of-the-twentieth-century American heartland: the shocking – and officially unsolved – axe-murder of Iowa farmer John Hossack. The case exposed small-town rivalries and prejudices, as well as the feminine strength that has kept the incident in the public imagination for more than a century.
Written and directed by William Rock, produced by Amy Nigg and shot by frequent 48-Hour Film Festival filmmaker John Hansen, "Jury of Her Peers" is the first feature-length film treatment of the Hossack case, though its roots in live theatre run deep.
The case was originally reported on by Davenport-born Susan Glaspell (1876-1948), then a young journalist and graduate of Drake University. Later, Glaspell would become the Pulitzer-Prize-winning “godmother of modern American drama,” penning the short play Trifles (1916), inspired by the Hossack case. "Trifles" is one of Glaspell’s best known works, is still often re-published and performed onstage, and has been adapted into an Oscar-nominated short film, as well as television productions.
An Iowa murder mystery, inspired by one of Drake University’s most prestigious alumni, Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright Susan Glaspell. Her short story “Jury of Her Peers” – still taught in high school and college classes today – was based on her reporting of the still unsolved 1900 murder of John Hossack. Followed by a moderated Q&A with cast, crew, and Drake faculty.
"Jury of Her Peers" is an award-winning murder mystery with a comedic twist that highlights an eerie true-crime case from deep in the turn-of-the-twentieth-century American heartland: the shocking – and officially unsolved – axe-murder of Iowa farmer John Hossack. The case exposed small-town rivalries and prejudices, as well as the feminine strength that has kept the incident in the public imagination for more than a century.
Written and directed by William Rock, produced by Amy Nigg and shot by frequent 48-Hour Film Festival filmmaker John Hansen, "Jury of Her Peers" is the first feature-length film treatment of the Hossack case, though its roots in live theatre run deep.
The case was originally reported on by Davenport-born Susan Glaspell (1876-1948), then a young journalist and graduate of Drake University. Later, Glaspell would become the Pulitzer-Prize-winning “godmother of modern American drama,” penning the short play Trifles (1916), inspired by the Hossack case. "Trifles" is one of Glaspell’s best known works, is still often re-published and performed onstage, and has been adapted into an Oscar-nominated short film, as well as television productions.
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Where is it happening?
The Varsity Cinema, 1207 25th St, Des Moines, IA 50311-3005, United States
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Host or PublisherWill Do Films
