2023)—The National Hellenic Museum (NHM) brings back its popular Trial event for the first time since 2020 with The Trial of Socrates on Monday, May 22 at 7 p.m. at the Harris Theater (205 E. Randolph Street, Chicago). At this dynamic event, nationally renowned attorneys and judges will take on ancient Greece’s most famous court case: The People vs. Socrates. Is the great philosopher Socrates guilty of impiety and corrupting the youth? Or is he merely encouraging free thought?
Actor and The Second City alum John Kapelos (The Shape of Water, The Umbrella Academy, The Breakfast Club, Forever Knight) will portray Socrates. Prosecution attorneys Robert A. Clifford (Clifford Law Offices), Dan K. Webb (Winston & Strawn) and Sarah King (Clifford Law Offices) will present the People’s case against Socrates. Defense attorneys Patrick Collins (King & Spalding), Tinos Diamantatos (Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP) and Julie Porter (Salvatore Prescott Porter & Porter, PLLC) will present the defense of Socrates. Judges and prominent jurors participating in the event will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets for the National Hellenic Museum’s The Trial of Socrates on Monday, May 22 at 7 p.m. at the Harris Theater (205 E. Randolph Street, Chicago) are now on sale. Early Bird tickets are $80 until April 30, with single tickets increasing to $100 on May 1. Student tickets are $50. Attorneys can register for CLE credit on site. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit nationalhellenicmuseum.org/trial or call 312-655-1234.
“We are proud to present the eighth installment of our popular NHM Trial Series. Utilizing some of today’s premier legal minds in a contemporary courtroom setting, the Trial of Socrates will continue our exploration of how the ancient Greeks grappled with timeless controversies that continue to shape modern society,” says NHM Trustee Konstantinos Armiros, counsel at Saul Ewing LLP. “This is a rare opportunity for people to see some of the best attorneys in the nation argue a historic case with unscripted, authentic drama and legal acumen.”
“The Trial of Socrates forces us to confront some of the most difficult questions about democracy and liberty, including what limits free societies can put in place to protect themselves while still maintaining their freedom,” says NHM Director of Research and Content Katherine Kelaidis, PhD. “There are no easy or obvious answers to these questions, hence why we are still asking them 2500 years after Socrates’ death.”
Socrates’ trial has fascinated and troubled generations who have struggled to comprehend the death of one of history’s greatest philosophers at the hands of a lawful jury. Convicted in Athens in 399 B.C.E. with impiety and corrupting the youth, Socrates’ pursuit of wisdom was seen as a threat to the survival of Athenian democracy. NHM’s The Trial of Socrates invites audiences to consider anew the fragility of democracy, the limits of freedom, and the imperfection of human justice. Guests at the Trial are invited to participate by exploring the arguments of each side and submitting their “guilty” or “not guilty” vote to literally tip the scale and make their verdict heard, in the style of the courts of ancient Athens.
The dynamic NHM Trial Series highlights the enduring relevance and value of Greek thought and history. It has grown both in reputation and following since its inception in 2013. In 2016, NHM’s The Trial of Antigone was broadcast on WTTW TV (PBS Chicago) and in May 2017 it was nominated for a Midwest regional Emmy. Subsequent NHM Trial Series events have also aired on public television and received regional Emmy nominations. Since 2017, the annual event has been qualified by the Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission (IARDC) for continuing legal education (CLE) credit. Attorneys attending the event can register for CLE credit on site.
Bio for John Kapelos
Best known for his iconic role as “Carl the Janitor" in John Hughes' The Breakfast Club (1985), and as Detective Donald Schanke in the Canadian vampire cult series Forever Knight (1990), John Kapelos got his start with Chicago’s The Second City, Touring Company in 1978 and performed in the Resident Company until 1986. Born in London, Canada, Kapelos has appeared in over 200 films and television shows. His film credits span the gamut from Roxanne (with Steve Martin), Legally Blonde (with Reese Witherspoon) and Nothing in Common (with Tom Hanks), to the Academy Award-winning The Shape of Water directed by Guillermo del Toro. Kapelos has also guest-starred in a slew of hit TV shows from Miami Vice to Seinfeld to Big Sky to Days of Our Lives to The Umbrella Academy and Beacon 23, all the while showing off his outstanding improvisational and comedic skills as well as his flair for dramatic roles. His popular album Too Hip for the Room is a set of twelve fun and satiric jazz tunes where Kapelos croons a cover of Don’t You (Forget about Me). Kapelos is of Greek ancestry and is very proud of his heritage. The song, The Goddamn Greek Halsted Street Blues, is a classic piece of Second City and Chicago radio lore. He is currently writing and producing a noir series, The Mayor of Koreatown.
About the National Hellenic Museum
The National Hellenic Museum (NHM) is the premier US museum dedicated to sharing Greek history, art and culture, from ancient times to the present day, including the modern Greek American experience. NHM preserves the Hellenic legacy and makes this rich heritage relevant today through its extensive collection of more than 10,000 physical artifacts, hundreds of oral histories, exhibitions, educational programs and special events. Originally founded in 1983 and located in Chicago’s historic Greektown neighborhood since 2011, the museum provides lifelong learning for the community and sparks inquiry and discussion about the broader issues in our lives and society. Regular museum hours are Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, visit nationalhellenicmuseum.org or call 312-655-1234.