Sponsored by the Association of Corporate Counsel
& Co Sponsored by the San Antonio Bar Association
Doralee gives advice to the new attorney about the "Chain of Fools" that think they can break the law and get ahead:
"One Document More" explores the ethics and difficulty of e-discovery:
omorrow" Genny will get a man fired to advance her career:
oung Nancy questions her decision to be an attorney in "Millenial World:"
Maria is forced to quit to avoid being part of corporate fraud
in "Defying Dishonesty:"
Ethics Follies 2008 Reviews:
"Smart, touching...and funny!"
George Brin, President, Conflicts Solutions of Texas, Inc.
"Bravo! You all make San Antonio proud
(even the Mayor says so)."
Judith Blakeway, Partner, Strasburger & Price
"The Follies were FABULOUS!"
Linda Wright, Attorney, Zachary Holdings Inc.
"The Follies were
extraordinary. The script and the songs were
great. They were right on point, funny,
moving and carried out the story superbly."
Nancy Norman, Partner, Jackson Walker, LLP
ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING
PERFORMANCES!
Linda Thoede, Attorney, Clear Channel Communications
"The Cox Smith Division Leaders felt like we just walked out of a Broadway Show!"
Amy Miller, Director of Client Services and Marketing,
Cox Smith Matthews
"CONGRATULATIONS for a great production. That was really appropriate and on target for the business culture we live in today."
Thomas J. Dooley, CFO, Mission Pharmacal Company
"Our table had a great time." Bennett Allison, CPA, CFP, Shareholder, Sol Schwartz & Associates, PC
"It could not have been better!"
Dan Webster, Partner, Cox Smith
See the colorful photographs of the 2008 production, "Decent's De$cent," as captured by photographer Mike Cubeta by clicking the photo on left.An Original Ethical Comedy
Decent's De$cent (3 DVD set now available)
The fast-paced musical comedy, Decent's De$cent, brings to light many business and legal ethics issues taken from case studies and today's headlines. The Decent family is in unfamiliar territory when they take their company public and change corporate presidents midstream. As the Broadway, rock, pop, and country music parodies entertain attendees, it becomes clear that corporations and law firms with leaders who set the ethical tone at the top will be more successful. Attendees will take away valuable ethics lessons from the resolutions of the conflicts. Decent's in-house legal counsel weathers the storm, guided by his moral compass. The company's outside counsel plays a key role in the company's survival and discovers ways to build trust with a company for a lasting relationship. The CFO avoids an SEC investigation by refusing to "cook the books" despite pressures to do so. The executives learn the value of investing in compliance and ethics programs so they can sleep well at night. To keep it interesting, there are plenty of follies along the way!
Decent's De$cent is filled with decades of great one liners, comic bits, and pop culture references from TV, film, and stage tied together by C. Lee Cusenbary in an original story of corporate greed and corruption. To create an educational experience for all attendees, there also subplots regarding trial lawyers' ethics, e-discovery ethics, internet and blogging ethics, and family law ethics.
"If ya can't say something nice about someone . . . come sit by me, Sugar!"
Doralee Snodgrass, Office Manager in Decent's De$cent
Parodies in Decent's De$cent
The following parodies were performed on November 6, 2008 at the Empire Theatre:
Parody Tonight (Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum); No One Mourns the Greedy (Wicked); Hello San Antonio! (Hairspray); Chain of Fools (Aretha Franklin); I Bought It on Ebay (Backstreet Boys/Weird Al Yankovik); Could I Leave You (Follies by Sondheim); I Can Hear Your Cell (Hairspray); Defying Dishonesty (Wicked); A Millennial World (Little Mermaid); Sarbanes Oxley
(Oklahoma!) ; One Document More* (Les Miserables); What I Did Not Do* (Chorus Line); Look at Me, I'm Doralee! (Grease)*; Big Spender (Sweet Charity); That Don't Impress Me Much (Shania Twain); Don't Ya Do That! (Hairspray); A Little Less Conversation (Elvis Presley); In My Life (Beatles); I'm 30 Years Old Tomorrow & Sleazy Street (Annie!/Forbidden Broadway); Seasons of Love (Rent); You Can't Stop the (Ethical) Beat (Hairspray).
(All parody lyrics written by C. Lee Cusenbary except "What I Did Not Do," which was written and staged by John Heller. "One Document More" was conceived by Tom Countryman. "Look at Me, I'm Doralee" was conceived by Mary Belan Doggett. )
Cast & Crew of Decent's Descent
Mission Pharmacal's General Counsel, C. Lee Cusenbary, returns for his third year as the show's writer, producer and director. Bruce Liesman, the General Counsel of Independence Title, takes on the role this year of Assistant Director. Follies 2008 can also boast one of San Antonio's most respected choreographers, directors and producers, Gloria Liu, as part of the team. Susan Breidenbach is the Media Director for Mission Pharmacal Company and lends her talents as a Stage Manager to the Follies this year. City Public Service Senior Attorney Kathy Yates returns as the visionary costume designer and adds a Follies "flair" with her "it needs more feathers, wigs, sequins, color" approach to design. Haynes & Boone's Lupe Perez also returns to run the many video effects and short films that make the show visually interesting. Kelli Cubeta chairs "The Ethical Life Awards" committee this year. Attorney and Master Singer Cynthia Smith is the Follies' music librarian. Mike Cubeta and Bruce Liesman are hard at work designing sets and building them with their talented committee.
Congratulations to the 2008 Cast and Crew of Decent's De$cent for making the show a hit:
Xavier Rodriguez
Royal Furgeson
Karen Pozza
Barbara Nellermoe
Karen Angelini
Susan Breidenbach
George Brin
Steven Bull
Hayley Burnside
Amber Clark
Tom Countryman
Kelli Cubeta
Mike Cubeta
Lee Cusenbary
Phylis Speedlin
Rene Diaz
Mary Doggett
Ingrid Etienne
Phil Kazen
Anna Gangai
Sherry Gibbs Houston
Danielle Hargrove
Diane Hirsch
Teri Hospers
Lamont Jefferson
Carolyn Larsen
Richard Larsen
Shannon Larsen
Dan Lopez
John Pawloski
Gloria Liu
Bonnie Reed
Cindy Smith
Van Hilley
Kathy Yates
Fred Schraub
Jeff Gifford
Sandee Bryan Marion
Erin Higginbotham
Tiffanie Clausewitz
Dean Glade
Wilson Chu
Spencer Barasch
Beth Smith
Bruce Liesman
Manny Palaez Prada
Scott Huddleston
Jane Fritz
David Prichard
Alice Viroslav
Lupe Perez
Meet the Cast & Crew: Stage Manager Susan Breidenbach
She worked in New York City in advertising and as the stage manager for showcase productions. She returned to San Antonio in 1984. From 1985 to 1993, she stage managed exclusively with Director Jerry Pollock and the Alamo City Theatre (ACT) at the Josephine for many shows including EVITA, GREASE, INTO THE WOODS, and ASSASSINS.
Susan stage managed the world premiere of the original musical production "High Hair & Jalapenos" at the Cameo Theatre in San Antonio. She has also been the stage manager at the San Pedro Playhouse for memorable shows such as CABARET, and A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC. In addition, Susan has been the stage manager for the Jewish Community Center's theater (RAGS, OLIVER), the Sheldon Vexter Theatre (INTO THE WOODS); the Woodlawn Theater (YOU'RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN); two Alamo Theatre Arts Council Globe Award shows at the McAllister Auditorium; and the annual ALAMOTOWN Fundraising Gala for the Ella Austin Community Center at the Scottish Rite Temple. She has also been the Assistant Stage Manager for two San Antonio Symphony Pops productions - GUYS AND DOLLS and CAMELOT. The woman doesn't sleep.
Her passion is for working on "book musical theatre" (musicals that tell a story) - the bigger the show, the better. That's great news because she will be herding cats at the Ethics Follies 2009 at the Empire Theatre this November with it's cast and crew of 40, rolling set pieces, and huge backdrops with three hours of story and music. She is a huge asset to the show.
Susan is currently the Media Director for Mission Pharmacal, a privately-owned pharmaceutical manufacturer in San Antonio, Texas.
