Theatregoers will be on the edge of their seats as the riveting courtroom drama Twelve Angry Men takes to the stage at St. Jacobs Country Playhouse from Oct 6 through 24.
On a hot and damp summer day, a jury of 12 men must decide on the fate of a young delinquent who stands accused of murdering his father. It seems like an open-and-shut case until a single dissenter sows a seed of reasonable doubt, thereby preventing a quick verdict.
Juror Number 8 asks his peers to take a closer look at the circumstances, a suggestion that sheds new light on the case and the personal prejudices and weaknesses of his fellow jurymen. Tempers get short, arguments grow heated, and a dozen ordinary men are transformed into 12 angry men. A testament to the complicated quest for justice, this dynamic production is at once clever, dramatic, and deeply compelling.
“This is a provocative production that will linger in the minds of theatregoers long after the curtain falls,” said the artistic director for Drayton Entertainment, Alex Mustakas. “The audience will become absorbed in not only whether the young man is guilty of the crime, but also how the upbringing of each juror affects his way of thinking.”
Twelve Angry Men, written by Reginald Rose, began as a teleplay in 1954. It won three Emmy awards that year, including Best Writer for Rose. Film versions have starred such renowned actors as Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmon, and George C. Scott. Rose’s play adaptation debuted in London in 1964 and the legendary English playwright Harold Pinter staged a production at the Old Vic in 1996. A Broadway debut came in 2004 and ran for 328 performances.
“Twelve Angry Men resonates just as much today as it did when it first appeared in the 1950s,” said Mustakas. “Rose’s play offers something more than the legal dramas that we see on television today. It not only delves into the psyches of each character, but in so doing the play requires audiences to examine and question their own morals and beliefs.”
Tickets can be booked by calling the Drayton Entertainment box office at 519-747-7788 or toll free at 1-888-449-4463. For more information, visit www.stjacobscountryplayhouse.com.
