Since 2004, members of Delaware’s legal community have dedicated their time, talents, and energy to put on a musical that benefits The Combined Campaign for Justice. Profundo Bono, Inc. is a troupe of attorneys and judges who take to the stage every two years to delight audiences with an original work. After postponing a show in 2021 due to the pandemic, the players are back for their 9th show entitled The Finishing School!
For 18 years, Profundo Bono’s shows were a labor of love from beloved former Superior Court Judge, the late Honorable Robert B. Young. Judge Young wrote all 9 shows, loosely based on such classics as: Macbeth, A Tale of Two Cities, Moby Dick, An American Tragedy, Madame Bovary, The Crucible and The Public Enemy. Sadly, Judge Young passed in early 2021, leaving behind many who loved him and a show that had yet to go on. Family Court Judge and conductor of Profundo Bono’s band, The Honorable James McGiffin, shared a few words about Judge Young and his musical efforts—
“This show, the 9th in the series, is Rob’s last show. After his diagnosis, he hoped to get to 10. He was a curmudgeonly optimist, sometimes. He loved writing the shows and he loved playing in the show band. But probably more important to him was making the show event a way for folks to support the Combined Campaign for Justice. Rob was a keen observer of people, particularly lawyers and judges, many of whom were his favorite people. He abhorred insincerity and hypocrisy in public officials. And he loved music from the 1920’s, 1930’s, 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s. He was also open to learning about “new” music from the 1970’s and 1980’s. He was a clever lyricist, too, with a HUGE vocabulary. He put all of these interests together when he wrote the shows. And he worked harder than anyone to assure success.
Most of the members of the cast and band are Rob-show veterans. We all have stories we share during our time together, and we all miss him badly. Tears and laughter accompany every reference to our friend. The entire company of Profundo Bono is committed to the success of The Finishing School to honor the memory of the man who was our writer, inspiration, utility musician, critic, coach, and leader.”
This year the talented and fearless legal players will be bringing to the stage Judge Young’s original take and twisted tribute to Lillian Hellman in The Finishing School. This show was the last of Judge Young’s writing efforts and will be performed in his memory by the whole cast and crew. This extremely limited engagement will be performed on November 11 and 12 at 7:30 p.m. at The Laird Performing Arts Center at the Tatnall School in Wilmington and November 13 at 2:00 p.m. at the Schwartz Center in Dover.
As Judge McGiffin shared, foundational to the legacy of these performances, and Judge Young’s efforts, is the organization that benefits from the culmination of all the hard work– The Combined Campaign for Justice (CCJ). CCJ raises money for Delaware’s three non-profit civil legal aid agencies: Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (CLASI), Delaware Volunteer Legal Services, Inc. (DVLS), and Legal Services Corporation of Delaware, Inc (LSCD). These agencies assist low-income litigants in such matters as housing, domestic violence, elder care, disabilities, civil legal issues, private landlord/tenant, and consumer matters. CCJ is honored to be part of Judge Young’s legacy. We encourage you to come out to one of the shows! You’ll be glad you did!
Tickets to The Finishing School can be purchased here.
