1660 N. McClelland – Santa Maria CA, 93454
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I’ve been in a lot of plays at Santa Maria Civic Theatre but I’ve never directed a show. I knew I wanted to give it a try so when the chance came along to direct a reader’s theater version of 12 Angry Men I saw the perfect opportunity to dip my toe into directing.
The show was originally written as a television play in 1954. In those days, it was common to have live broadcasts like this in addition to serials and other types of shows. It was very well received and won 3 Emmy Awards (writer, director, best actor). This led them to create a stage show version and later the film which was produced by Henry Fonda. The film version is effectively a longer version of the play, but I think there are some very notable differences.
One of the most important is that the defendant is never shown and never physically described. Characters mention that “the kid” is from the slums, that he’s nineteen, and that he has a troubled past. Most notably, the ethnicity of the defendant is never revealed which leaves the audience free to imagine what he might look like. In this way, it helps to realize our own prejudices.
In the film, the characters reveal their names but in the play we never learn a single name. I think this helps to keep the characters more of an archetype. It helps to allow the audience to see these people not as individuals but with qualities they might have or their friends might have.
You see, none of the characters in this play are evil. There aren’t any bad guys and good guys. Everyone is making choices based on their own life experiences. Each juror has some kind of personal issue that blocks them from seeing the truth. Characters react because they have pre-conceived notions of morality, the justice system, or because they are too concerned with their own emotions or discomfort.
In this short play, we are introduced to characters that could easily be us in the same situation. Would you be the impatient Juror #7 who just wants to go home? Would you be someone haunted by their past like Juror #5? Just like the characters in 12 Angry Men, we all bring our own prejudices, emotions, and experiences and it colors our decisions.
I first saw the movie version of 12 Angry Men in high school around the same time that I first read To Kill A Mockingbird. I think the two have a lot in common. Both feature a stern but fair father figure who fights for their convictions against tremendous peer pressure. I’ve always seen Atticus Finch as a role model both as a way to live your life and as a parent. The main protagonist of 12 Angry Men, Juror #8, shares a lot of these qualities. Fairness, passion, courage, all delivered in a calming non-judgmental way.
I admire the conviction and courage of Juror #8, but his real strength is his patience. He guides the others gently without letting his frustration get in the way. He leads them to see the weakness of their character and helps them to strive to be better, to embrace compassion and mercy over spite and anger.
One of the reason I jumped on 12 Angry Men is because it is a fantastic play for reader’s theater. At Santa Maria Civic Theatre, we present plays without a full set or costumes, without complicated blocking or special effects. Don’t get me wrong, sets and costumes are a great way to reinforce themes and help the audience get lost in the play, but what’s cool about reader’s theater is that we can focus on the dialog. The dialog in this play is quick and raw, it’s full of emotion and human feeling and even after only two rehearsals my amazing cast is already killing it.
12 Angry Men tickets are on sale now at 805 Tix. We’ve got an incredible cast of both men and women and I guarantee you’ll leave wowed by the fantastic talent you’ll see on stage.