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~ A History of the Drama Society and the Parody ~

While sporadic talent nights have been held since time immemorial, in 1961 the Equity Reviews (the Parody's predecessor) became an annual tradition, renamed Lawyers, Lunatics and Lovers in 1964 and The Recline and Fall of a Law Student in 1965.  Kid Me Not, or the Matter of Tot (1966) was the first to have a plot, describing a ten-year-old HLS genius.  It was followed by Laity Luck (1967), set in ancient Greece, The Jealous Mistress (1968), about the Dean's resignation, and The Spider People (1969), concerning "the Seamless Web of the Law."

In 1970, Have Law, Will Gavel, about Ralph Nader's antics, moved the Parody into the Ropes-Gray room.  From Here to Perpetuity (1971) documented a search for the meaning of life, and The Greatest Show Unearthed (1972) merged HLS with the circus.  Praise the Law and Pass the Erudition (1973) was a Dantean journey through the law, and The Paper Waste (1974) described the making of a law school movie.  Shake a Legacy (1975) was set on the old West, Laws (1976) was about a hopeless law student's search for fulfillment, and Holmes is Where the Hark Is (1977) cribbed Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character.  It Takes a Fief (1978) was set inCamelot, while Paradise Remanded, or Replevin Can Wait (1979) retold the story of Faust.  In Supraman - The Parody (1980), a superhero wins the heart of Lois Lein.

In1981 and 1982, the Drama Society departed from tradition by producing original productions instead of Parodies: Contempt of Courtship (1981), a love story, and Summery Proceedings (1982), about a summer camp for incoming students.  In 1983, the Parody returned with North by North Middle, featuring spies in crop-dusting planes, and 1984: A Romantic Musical Comedy (1984) combined Orwell and showtunes.  Starry Decisis (1985) described three aliens and their effect on HLS.  The Parody spoofed Dickens in A Commencement Carol (1986), a television show in Austin... Who Shot J.D. (1987), Carroll's classic in Malice in Wonderlaw (1988), and horror movies in Gannett House Horror: A Nightmare on Mass Ave (1989).

1990 began with The Crimson Slippers, or There's No Place Like Holmes.  West Law Story (1991) and The Malfeased Falcon (1992) began a trend of more professionalproductions, which continued with The Phantom of the Law School (1993), My Fair J.D. (1994), The Cocky Lawyer Picture Show (1995), and Raiders of the Lost Hark (1996), a multimedia extravaganza.

Backbench to the Future (1997) moved to a local elementary school during Langdell's renovation, but Reasonable Men in Black (1998) returned to Ropes-Gray.  The Surreal World (1999) lampooned reality shows, I Know What You Made Last Summer(2000) returned to the horror theme, and the 2001 technologically ambitious spy thriller License to Bill featured four would-be heroes and a nefarious villain.

Hearsay Anything (2002) told the love story of Harry Hart and Sally Sole, and Lord of the Briefs (2003) featured a Forrest Gump-inspired lead character triumphantly winning the Ames "Best Brief" prize over a Gollum-like character doomed from the start.  In 2004 H-Men told the story of six super-powered students and their quest to save the law school from attack.  2005's Finding Nemo Contributorily Negligent followed a confused and unhappy law student as he searched for meaning in his law school experience. Last year, bickering law students from various backgrounds and grade levels learned to get along when the annual "Welcome Back" boat cruise was shipwrecked on a deserted island in Lawst.

The Drama Society looks forward to a future as rich as our exciting history... stay tuned for news about Parody 2007!