Old Court House Civil War Museum
	Winchester Virginia, Winchester changed hands 70 times in the Civil War
	www/civilwarmuseum.org

Theater at the court house,
"Night of January 16" by Ayn Rand
February 2, 2007

The Old Court House Civil War Museum invites you to a performance of 
"Night of January 16 " by Ayn Rand

Night of January 16 was a play written by Ayn Rand, inspired by the death of the "Match King", Ivar Kreuger. First published in 1934, it took place entirely in a court room and was centered on a murder trial. It was a hit of the 1935-36 Broadway season. The play dealt with issues of a man's ability to regard self as important and exist in a society where moral decay was ever prevalent. It also dealt with issues of love, loyalty and betrayal.

What was particularly interesting was a feature of the play which picked members of the audience to take on the role of jury members each night. Depending on whether the "Jury" found the defendant of the case, as in the play, "guilty" or "not guilty" - the play would have different endings.

Plot Bjorn Faulkner has swindled millions of dollars of money from investors by investing cash he didn't have to control the gold trade. In the wake of a crash, he is facing bankruptcy despite the injection of money by Mr. John Graham Whitfield, a prominent banker whose daughter, Nancy Lee Faulkner, married Faulkner shortly after the loan. On the night of January 16th, in New York, Karen Andre and Bjorn Faulkner are in the penthouse at the top of the Faulkner building from which Faulkner falls to his death in what may have been a suicide. Karen Andre is placed on trial for the murder of Bjorn Faulkner. She is being prosecuted by Mr. Flint and defended by Mr. Stevens. Within the three acts of the play, the two lawyers call upon a number of witnesses whose testimony builds a contradictory story.

This picture is from 1971 performance of this play.  Do you recognize the handsome fellow in the middle?  He is also a star in the current performance!