Avon Players to Present 12 ANGRY MEN

Avon Players’ 80th season continues with the enduring legal drama Twelve Angry Men, running November 6-21.

On a hot summer day after a long trial, a jury must decide whether a 19-year-old man is guilty of murdering his father. It looks like an open-and-shut case until one juror (Jeff Stillman), reluctant to rush to judgment, begins persuading others to truly consider the evidence. Each juror reveals his own character as the various testimonies are re-examined and the murder is re-enacted. Tempers get short and arguments grow heated as jurors change their minds and question their preconceptions. The jurors' final verdict and how they reach it—in tense scenes that will electrify audiences—make for an important and timely exploration of justice and the legal system.

Twelve Angry Men was adapted by playwright Sherman Sergel from the 1954 teleplay of the same name by Reginald Rose for the CBS Anthology series Studio One. The stage version debuted in 1955 at San Francisco’s Marina Auditorium. However, most audience members are likely to be most familiar with the 1957 film adaptation directed by Sidney Lumet. The motion picture starred Henry Fonda along with an ensemble of recognizable character actors including Lee J. Cobb, Ed Begley, E.G. Marshall, and Jack Warden. The film was initially a box office disappointment despite wide critical success, but it has since come to be regarded as an undisputed classic appearing on many lists of the best of the 20th century.

Director Patrick Daniels, whose previous directing endeavor at Avon Players was the legal thriller A Few Good Men, was drawn to the show in large part because of his passion for the legal system. Daniels has just finished law school at Michigan State University and hopes to become a public defense attorney. He sees the play as a vehicle for audience members to learn about the legal system, especially the importance of reasonable doubt, and consider how biases influence decisions in trials. “From the start the jurors seem set on a particular verdict that is largely rooted in assumptions based on the defendant’s demographics. One juror understands the stakes, that someone’s life is on the line. The tension and drama come from clashes over what justice means and how it should be carried out,” Daniels said.

Twelve Angry Men is rated PG for descriptions of violence. The show is presented through special arrangements with Dramatic Publishing. All authorized materials are provided by Dramatic Publishing. www.dramaticpublishing.com