Life > November 1, 2007

By Lauren Brown | Staff writer

One man is dead. The life of another is at stake. This is the scenario explored by Reginald Rose in his classic American play, Twelve Angry Men, the newest University Theatre production.

When a man turns up dead and his son is accused of murder, the jurors must decide if he is guilty or not. Eleven of them are ready to convict him, but one objects. How will they come to a decision and whose side will they take?

Set in a jury room in Manhattan in 1957, the play takes place in real time as the jurors deliberate over the case.

The play tackles issues that are just as relevant today as they were 50 years ago when the play was written.

Issues such as differences in race, class and culture prevail and the characters must work through these differences to come to a decision.

“If you picked a random bunch of 12 people, you’ve got everything from working class to upper class,” said John Friedenberg, director of university theatre and director of the play. “In this production you’ve got male and female, you’ve got an immigrant, you’ve got age differences. You’ve got that cross-section of society that if you had to spend time with each other, sooner or later you’d find things that rub each other the wrong way, that you didn’t agree with.”

Faced with their differences, the jurors must question themselves and define their beliefs and values, even beyond the scope of the trial.

“The play itself, and within the play, the jurors themselves, are forced to think about what they really believe and what they really feel,” Friedenberg said. “They’re forced to consider what those preconceived notions that they haven’t ever really had to question are.”

Friedenberg noted that this kind of analysis is particularly relevant to students today. “We all know that there are lots of sides to every argument, but … at some point each of us has to decide what we consider to be more important or less important in terms of weighing what our action ought to be,” he said.

Although the subject matter of the play is rather weighty, the play is suspenseful and keeps one wondering about the outcome. It is not without its moments of humor as the 12 jurors interact and bicker with one another.

“We’re all going to see people we recognize,” Friedenberg said. “We’re not all going to fit into one of those 12 jurors’ molds, but maybe we’ll fit into a combination of those three or a combination of these two,” Friedenberg said.

This is the University Theatre’s second production of the season, and it will open at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 2. Other performances are Nov. 3 and 7-11, which also begin at 7:30 p.m. Curtain time for the final performance is at 2 p.m. on Nov. 11.

All performances will be in the Main Stage Theatre in Scales Fine Arts Center. Tickets are $12 general admission, $5 for students and are available through the Theatre Box Office.