Theater Review
Justice is alive in 2012 at the Pierson Playhouse’or is it? Twelve actors take the stage in the Theatre Palisades’ current production of ‘Twelve Angry Men’ to determine the fate of a young man on trial for murder. Seemingly an open-and-shut case, doubts cast in one juror’s mind determines the direction the jury will go. Set in a Manhattan courthouse jury room in 1963, the message of the play is universal and timeless, and aside from certain details, it could very well be taking place today. As the jurors walk into the jury room, friendly chitchat ensues. They must decide whether the teenager on trial is guilty of killing his father. When the first vote is taken, almost every man is convinced it’s going to be a slam-dunk guilty verdict and they’ll all be able to go home. However, Juror No.8 (Philip Bartolf) thinks otherwise, and is the lone not-guilty vote, which makes some of the other jurors furious, and sets the tone for the entire play. Personalities range from tempered to angry, and the best and worst of the men come to light as they grapple with their responsibility of finding a verdict that could result in sending someone to the electric chair. Some jurors go off on unrelated tangents, while others stick to the facts of the case. Even with dissenting opinions, every man is given the opportunity to say what he thinks. Juror No.5 (Bob Grochau) was raised in a slum, and is able to offer insights when the switchblade knife, the weapon used to kill the victim, is discussed. Facts are discussed, witness testimonies are reenacted, evidence is viewed and the men question the meaning of ‘What is ‘guilty beyond a reasonable doubt?” When one particularly angry juror (No.3, Craig Stevens) spews out ‘I’m going to kill you’ to Juror No.8, the same words the defendant allegedly said to his father before killing him, a hush comes over all the jurors. And Juror No.8’s point that people say that all the time without really meaning it is strengthened all the more. The racist juror (No.10, P.J. Waggaman), continually wiping his face with his handkerchief, spouts angrily about the defendant: ‘He don’t even speak good English.’ The irony is not lost on the audience. All the men turn their backs on him after one particular racist rant. Matthew Artson (Juror No.4) is believable and reasonable, always willing to listen to the not guilty arguments even though he believes the defendant is guilty. ‘I’m glad we’re going to be civilized,’ he says to the men after a particularly heated exchange. Until the last moments of the production it is not clear which way the jury will go, which helps make it exciting until the very end. Nick Thompson (Foreman), Jerome Greenberg (Juror No.2), Anthony Tringali (Juror No.6), Alan Curelop (Juror No.7), Richard Little (Juror No.9), Richard Herlan (Juror No.11) and Lucas Moore (Juror No.12) are the remaining jurors. In the hands of an inexperienced director, ‘Twelve Angry Men’ could be a very long sit indeed. Fortunately, veteran director Sherry Coon shepherds her excellent actors through the dialogue-heavy script, and the result is a riveting intermission-free 90 minutes. The simple set, designed by award-winning set designer Sherman Wayne (also the co-producer and lighting designer), harkens back to the Sidney Lumet-directed film’a long jury table, old chairs, a water cooler and windows that look out to highrises that are painted in black and white. At one point it begins raining, which looks and sounds realistic. The fluorescent lights, which came on towards the end to convey that it was getting late, were harsh, and might have been more tolerable had they been slanted slightly away from the audience. Originally a teleplay (1954), then a movie starring Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb and Jack Warden (1957), both were written by Reginald Rose. Sherman L. Sergel adapted Rose’s work for the theater. ’Twelve Angry Men’ runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday through October 14 at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. For tickets ($16-$20), call (310) 454-1970 or visit theatrepalisades.org. Parking is free.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
