The Group Rep presents Twelve Angry Jurors. Adapted by Sherman L. Sergel based on the Emmy-winning television movie by Reginald Rose. Directed by Tom Lazarus. Produced for The Group Rep by Stevie Stern.
Playwright Sherman L. Sergel takes us to a jury room in a hot summer late afternoon. The year is 1958 and a teenager has been accused of murdering his father. It’s now up to the jurors to return a guilty or not guilty verdict.
In this intriguing drama, the race of the kid is not revealed. Since the teleplay first aired in the 50s, people have speculated that the teenager was Black or Puerto Rican. In Tom Lazarus‘ staging, all we learn is that the kid was living in the slums. The fascinating aspect of the play is how the attitudes of the jurors reflect the diversity of society. Some of the jurors come from privileged backgrounds while others come from disadvantaged communities.
In the original teleplay and later in the movie, the 12 jurors, were all White males. For The Group Rep‘s production, director Lazarus and producer Stevie Stern decided to make the race and gender of the jurors more diverse. Whether that is a reflection of the status quo or not of the American justice system, it’s up for debate. It is perhaps, Lazarus and Stern’s way to protest the systematic discrimination in the history of the selection and conducting of the jury duty process.
The two witnesses in the play, the man and the woman that provide testimony against the kid, become characters on their own right. Their testimony is either upheld or disputed during the jurors’ deliberation. The apparent initial agreement on a guilty verdict is questioned by Juror # 8 (Neil Thompson). His refusal to accept the majority’s decision leads to a closer look at the witnesses’ account of the events surrounding the murder. On the other hand, Juror # 3 (Mark Stancato) becomes the bully, the bigot. Two opposites that more than just characters, are the reflection of people’s attitudes towards the most underprivileged members of society.
In addition to the excellent dialogue, the diverse cast—which includes women, African Americans, and immigrants—are a mirror of American society. The heat depicted in the play becomes a pressure cooker, an uncomfortable environment to test the patience and the concentration needed to decide whether a person deserves the death penalty or not.
Thompson and Stancato offer compelling performances as the dichotomy of society. Thompson as Juror # 8 delivers a credible representation of the ideals of justice and democracy embodied in the American Dream and the Constitution. As for Stancato, he excels as the representation of the oppressive system and disengaged observer of social marginalization. The blocking allows for a dynamic performance of the 12 jurors, which move around the table to show their expressions and state of minds.
Race and gender give this production a progressive take on the always gripping theme of jury deliberation, an environment where bigotry and prejudice can jeopardize the fairness of the justice system.
Twelve Angry Jurors
The Group Rep
10900 Burbank Blvd
N. Hollywood, CA 91601
January 26 — March 3, 2024.
Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm.
Tickets: thegrouprep.com
Adapted by Sherman L. Sergel, based on the Emmy-winning television movie
by Reginald Rose, directed by Tom Lazarus and produced for The Group Rep by Stevie Stern. Cast: Linda Alznauer (Juror 4), Jane Bonem (Guard), Paul Cady (Juror 2), Belinda Howell (Juror 10), Stephanie Keefer (Juror 11), Stan Mazin (Juror 9), Bob McCollum (Judge), Richard Reich (Juror 7), Mark Stancato (Juror 3), Melissa Strauss (Juror 1), Neil Thompson (Juror 8), Cathy Diane Tomlin (Juror 6), Mouchette van Helsdingen (Juror 12), Tamir Yardenne (Juror 5) and Tilly Ye (Juror 6 – Feb. 16 – 18). Creative team: Tom Lazarus (Set Design), Chris Winfield (Set Construction), Frank McKown (Lighting Design), Shon LeBlanc (Costume Design), Steve Shaw (Sound Design), and Kristin Stancato (Stage Manager).
