The Milgram re-enactment

This docudrama re-enactment of psychologist Stanley Milgram’s case studies on “Obedience to Authority” was commissioned by the Centre for Contemporary Art, Glasgow and took place on 15th and 17th February 2002. The original controversial experiments took place at Yale from 1961-1962 and involved the “experimenter”, a “teacher” and a “learner” to investigate the effects of punishment on learning - the punishment consisting of a series of shocks for wrong answers with the voltage increasing by 15 increments with each wrong answer, beginning at 15 volts up to a maximum of 450 volts. However instead of the “learner”, it is actually the “teacher” who is the guinea pig and who is being studied to see just how far a subject will continue to administer pain whilst following orders. A very interesting study that makes the viewer experience various emotions from distress, frustration and even anger at the way humans can behave in certain situations. Cast: Graeme Edler (Experimenter), Charles Donelly (Leaner).