New look at controversial ‘experiment’
The three-part docuseries “The Stanford Prison Experiment: Unlocking the Truth” covers one of the most referenced psychological experiments ever, a 1971 controlled test that was intended to show that deep inside every person lurks an evil one, a presence that comes to the fore when placed in an authoritarian position. Director Juliette Eisner takes a critical, intelligent look at Stanford professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo’s “experiment” and how it created a fake prison and hired men to either play people incarcerated there or guards. It spun out of control and was shut down six days into its intended two weeks. Zimbardo, who died this year in San Francisco, eventually popped up everywhere to discuss the implications of his experiment and how it compared to historical events, including what happened during the Abu Ghraib torture scandal.
But did the Stanford experiment really offer anything conclusive about the nature of evil? Eisner’s documentary ponders that by focusing mainly on the eye-opening, candid accounts of the participants there, and how some felt like they were doing a performance and wanted to dump the job they were being paid to do. Eisner balances those personal reflections with one of Zimbardo’s final interviews, a telling one that anchors the final episode.
Details: Available for streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
— Randy Myers, Correspondent
Classical picks: Mozart, Britten, and Vengerov
The Bay Area’s holiday season gets off to a fine start with three concerts this weekend, featuring music by Mozart, Benjamin Britten and more.
Labadie conducts Mozart: Acclaimed conductor Bernard Labadie returns to the San Francisco Symphony in an all-Mozart program in Davies Symphony Hall; joined by English soprano Lucy Crowe, he’ll lead short works in the composer’s Italian and German-language repertoire, including the first SF Symphony performances of the aria “Schon lacht der holde Frühling.” The program ends with Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 in E-flat major. 2 p.m. Nov. 21, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 22-23, Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco; $49-$179; 415-864-6000; sfsymphony.org.
Britten’s “Ceremony” in Palo Alto: The classical chamber group Ensemble Continuo is ushering in the holidays with a performance of Benjamin Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carols.” Composed for three-part chorus, solo voices, and harp; Britten wrote the work in 1942 on a sea voyage from the U.S. to England. Works by Bach, Buxtehude and Schütz complete the program. 8 p.m. Nov. 22, All Saints Episcopal Church, Palo Alto; $23.18; ensemblecontinuo.com.
Vengerov, plus one: Award-winning violinist Maxim Vengerov returns to Berkeley on Tuesday evening; joined by his frequent collaborator, pianist Polina Osetinskaya, their program includes works by Brahms, Prokofiev, and Clara and Robert Schumann. 8 p.m. Nov. 23, Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley; $40-up; 510-642-9988; calperformances.org.
— Georgia Rowe, Correspondent
