Night of January 16th is Ayn Rand's unconventional courtroom drama, staged as a genuine trial in which members of the audience are seated as the jury and asked to render an actual verdict at the play's conclusion, meaning the ending can vary from performance to performance. The case concerns a former secretary and mistress accused of murdering her wealthy, ruthless business partner and lover by pushing him from a penthouse balcony, though the circumstances leave real doubt as to whether the death was murder, suicide, or something else entirely. Witnesses for the prosecution and defense present starkly conflicting portraits of the accused and the victim, forcing the impromptu jury to weigh conflicting testimony and personal judgments about morality and character rather than hard forensic fact. Rand designed the piece as much as a philosophical exercise about individualism and judgment as a conventional thriller. Its interactive format, turning the audience into active participants who determine the defendant's fate, made it a novelty attraction and a favorite for community theaters eager to try something structurally unusual.

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