By Melissa Elise Randall, Editor
In the summer of 2017, I was fortunate enough to be the stage manager for 12 Angry Men. I was still relatively new to community theater and had pursued the gig, asking Steve Vernon if there was anything (anything, Steve), I could do be a part of the production.
As it was an all-male production, stage manager and the light/sound tech was going to be as far as I could get. The show was directed under the expert hand of Kat Vernon, and I, along with the assistant stage manager, Sophia, pulled it off without a hitch. The cast was incredible to work with, and I looked forward to every show.
That's why I was so pleased to see that TheaterNOW would be holding an all female stage reading, Twelve Angry Men performed by 12 Impassioned Women.
12 Angry Men seems to be as applicable now as it was in the late '50s. We are tried for our crimes, by a jury of our peers, fulfilling each of our rights to a fair trial. But unfortunately, there is no guarantee that our peers, prone to their own biases and perspectives, will try us fairly. It's true in court, true in the court of public opinion.
(See any comment thread of a political Facebook post.)
But it's the controversy and the demand for truth and justice that makes 12 Angry Men such an exceptional piece of work, and why I couldn't help but to see it at TheaterNOW.
The show (once again, directed by Kat Vernon), has a remarkable cast. I spent about ten minutes before the show trying to recall who had played who in the Big Dawg version and lining them up with their female counterpart I was about to see on-stage.
To start, Regina McLeod was the even-tempered, measured foreman, taking careful and fair consideration to the unruly crew. Throughout the show, she expertly keeps the foreman calm, without never seeming disinterested or indifferent.
Beth Corvino was the quirky Juror #2, who of course, had been played by her husband, Anthony, in 2017. She played the character with such an earnest and quippy nature, delivering the "cough drop?" line flawlessly.
Melissa Stanley, who had one of the most challenging roles, the cantankerous Juror #3, brought an ideal heat and temper to the character. If you recall, Ron Hasson played the part in 2017. I always looked forward to his fevered, hot-headed portrayal of #3, but found myself enthralled with Melissa's slightly cooler, but equally contemptuous depiction.
One of the largest conflicts of the show, when Juror #3 nearly storms Juror #8, was perfection, with one or two jurors holding Melissa back as she threatens to "kill" Juror #8.
To which Amanda Young replies, splendidly, with "You don't really mean you'll kill me, right?"
I loved Amanda as Juror #8, the moral compass of the jury (also expertly played by Josh Bailey in 2017.) Her portrayal of #8 never came off as arrogant or self-righteous, but rather, as a thoughtful woman aware that without her patience and dedication to the truth, an innocent man will go to prison.
One of my personal favorite casting decisions was also my dear friend Chris Miller as Juror #9, who Craig Myers had portrayed last go around. Chris brought such an honest, delicate nature to #9, who is the first juror to change her vote to not guilty.
Everyone else was equally wonderful, from Alisa Harris's slightly impatient, but fair Juror #6, to Bianca Shaw's (who I loved in 2018's Memories, Molasses & More), skeptical, but wise #5, and Amy Koresko's Juror #12, as none of us will ever forget, "works in advertising," and is eager to get back to the job.
(On a personal note, I also work in advertising, and yes, it really is all we talk about.)
Then, there was Cathy Street's whip-smart Juror #4, isn't as close-minded as other jurors, but still doubtful of the boy's innocence. I also really enjoyed that Craig Kittner, who played #4 in 2017, was in the audience.
Jen Inguli took on the difficult portrayal of the narrow-minded Juror #10, who eventually, nearly every juror turns their back to after an unbelievably unsettling racist rant.
I loved that Jen didn't read that dialogue red-hot, but instead, as a woman who felt her opinion was so obvious, so within her rights to say and express, she literally could not believe that no one saw things her way.
Cue to another great line of the show, when Cathy Street calmly, but sternly, tells her to sit down and shut up or get smacked.
Christy Grantham, Juror #11, was a joy to watch, with heartfelt reminders to be thankful for the opportunity to "disagree,"as in her country (we never know which one), doesn't allow such things.
But of course, along with our privilege to disagree is the privilege not to give a shit, which is where Juror #7 comes in, superbly played by Anna Gamel. At any point, I was waiting for Anna to pop some gum, to accompany the gruff, bluntness she brought to #7, who continues to remind the audience, "I have better places to be."
Juror #7, though an ignorant character, is my favorite. And not because he/she has any charisma, but because they represent one of the most problematic parts of our political landscape: the indifferent. The people who "have better places to be," and as long as they don't experience any slight inconvenience, don't really care which way things swing.
The entitled that have never really been impacted by the cruel, long-lasting effects of unfair, unbalanced, or inhumane laws. As long as #7 still makes it to the show they have tickets to, they don't really care if the verdict is guilty or not guilty, because it simply isn't their problem.
Juror #7 is why 12 Angry Men is still so terribly important.
Because great theatre opens your mind and your heart. As long as there are still people that are complacent, still bird-boxing their way through one of the most exhausting and polarizing political landscapes in recent history, there is a place for 12 Angry Men. It's a reminder of what was, what is, and what will continue to be, unless we, together, change it.