“12 Angry Men” August 29, 2008

Spotlight Theatre Company Presents

12 Angry Men
Adapted by Sherman Sergel

Based on the Emmy award-winning television movie by Reginald
Rose.
Directed by Linda N. Suttle

Performed at the John Hand Theater

Spotlight Theatre Company presents “12 Angry Men” August 29 - September 27 at the John Hand Theatre, 7653 E. 1st Place in Denver. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $13 - $16 and available by calling 720-880-8727 or online at www.thisisspotlight.org.

A 19-year-old man has just stood trial for the fatal stabbing of his father. "He doesn't stand a chance," mutters the guard, as the 12 jurors are taken into the bleak jury room. It looks like an open-and-shut case—until one of the jurors begins opening the others' eyes to the facts. "This is a remarkable thing about democracy," says the foreign-born juror, "that we are notified by mail to come down to this place—and decide on the guilt or innocence of a man; of a man we have not known before. We have nothing to gain or lose by our verdict. We should not make it a personal thing." But personal it does become, with each juror revealing their own character as the various testimonies are re-examined, the murder is re-enacted and a new murder threat is born before their eyes! Tempers get short, arguments grow heated, and the jurors become 12 angry men.

The Jurors:
Foreman: Bernie Cardell, Juror 2: Bob Leggett, Juror 3: Robert Kramer, Juror 4: Rich Beall, Juror 5: Chris Bleau, Juror 6: Christian Mast, Juror 7: Rick Bernstein, Juror 8: Paul Page*, Juror 9: Roger Simon, Juror 10: Jesse Pearlman, Juror 11: Albert Banker, Juror 12: Aaron Carnevale and Bailiff: Luke Terry.
*Paul Page appears courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association.

Inspired by Reginald Rose's own experience of jury duty on a manslaughter case in New York City he was greatly impressed by the gravity of the situation, the somber activity of the court, and the "absolute finality" of the decision that he and his fellow jurors would have to make. He also thought that since no one other than the jurors had any idea of what went on in a jury room, "a play taking place entirely within a jury room might be an exciting and possibly moving experience for an audience" ("Author's Commentary" on Twelve Angry Men in Six Television Plays). The result is a taut, engrossing drama in which eleven jurors believe the defendant in a capital murder trial is guilty, while one juror stands up courageously for what he believes is justice and tries to persuade the others to his way of thinking.
Rose's drama premiered as "Twelve Angry Men" in 1954 in CBS Television's groundbreaking "Studio One" series. In 1960 -- four years after the original broadcast -- playwright Sherman L. Sergel adapted Reginald Rose's teleplay for the stage. The three-act version had its world premiere at the Buck's County Playhouse in New Hope, Pa. The stage version received overwhelming critical acclaim. Since then, the play has been produced, on average, more than 50 times a year in North America by various professional and amateur theater groups.
Spotlight Theatre Company
“12 Angry Men”
It looks like an open-and-shut case until one juror stands up for what he believes is justice.
Aug. 29 - Sept. 27
Fri/Sat at 7:30 p.m. & Sun at 6:30 p.m.
**The John Hand Theater, 7653 E. 1st Place, Denver
Tickets are $13 - $16
720-880-8727 for tickets or online at www.thisisspotlight.org