‘12 Angry Jurors’ brings intense drama to Family Theatre
The story is the same, but there is something different about the characters.
In the original, none of the jurors would wear a dress.
The Family Theatre’s production of “12 Angry Jurors” is based on “12 Angry Men,” a television play that was adapted into a 1957 film starring Henry Fonda. It is considered among the greatest courtroom dramas ever.
“We have added some diversity,” said director Cheryl Palmour, referring to race as well as gender.
The show runs Feb. 9-11 and Feb. 16-18.
While the original story takes place in the 1950s, this version occurs in 2001.
“We made it before 9/11 because a juror brings a knife into the jury room and with Homeland Security,” Palmour said. “That would not happen these days.”
Another change is that one character is now someone who faced tyranny in Africa rather than someone who escaped from Nazi Germany.
The story is about a young man accused of murder in what takes place in the jury room as the jurors try to come to a verdict.
The focus of the story is about one lone juror who believes there is reasonable doubt and how he tries to convince the other 11 that they should agree with him.
The jurors come from varied backgrounds.
“They judge the boy on trial based on their own life experiences and prejudices,” Palmour said.
The entire play is set in the jury room. There are no court scenes.
Every cast member is on stage for the entire show.
You never see the defendant.
You never hear names of the characters. They are just Juror 1, Juror 2, etc.
The action gets very intense.
Palmour said she would not recommend the show for anyone under 13.
Members of the cast are Leslie Cardwell, Zaporia Stevenson, Forrest Kelly, Brittany Whitehurst, Matthew Hudgins, Paul Forrester, Kathleen Jenkins, Meghan Chatfield, Jim Shields, Belinda Baker, Stephanie Kelly, Arron Cook and Ricky Thornton.
“It is a terrific play,” Palmour said.
Family Theatre is a nonprofit theatre company founded in 1997 by Anne Stumhofer, the mission of which is to present quality productions, promote Godly values and prepare people for excellence in theatre and in life.
Larry Gierer: 706-571-8581, @lagierer
If you go
What: “12 Angry Jurors”
When: 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 9-11 and Feb. 16-18
Where: Family Theater 2100 Hamilton Road in Columbus. It an annex of Rose Hill Baptist Church.
Tickets: Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for military and seniors, and $8 for students. Reservations may be made online at www.familytheatre.org. For information, call 706-366-7196.
Food: People may bring food or snacks
Parents guide: Show is best for those ages 13 and up.
This story was originally published February 7, 2017 at 11:46 AM with the headline "‘12 Angry Jurors’ brings intense drama to Family Theatre."