One Vote Makes A Difference With Maltz Juptier Theatre's Twelve Angry Men

Just one vote can stand between guilt and innocence.

That's the twisted puzzle of prejudice and intrigue at play in the Maltz Jupiter Theatre's season opener Twelve Angry Men, a suspenseful courtroom drama about the effect one voice can have on a jury.

The production, set in 1950s post-war America, follows the case of a young man accused of murder and the twelve jurors corralled in a room for the duration of their deliberation. As justice is tested and evidence weighed, the men are forced to look past the show of the courtroom to unearth the shocking truth.

The Maltz Jupiter Theatre's production of Twelve Angry Men will run Nov. 2-14. The play will be directed by a special guest: Chicago's Frank Galati, who won two Tony Awards for his adaptation and direction of Steppenwolf Theatre's production of The Grapes of Wrath on Broadway.

"Frank Galati is known nationally for his direction of epic plays and musicals, and we are so lucky that he will be bringing his powerful style to the Maltz Jupiter Theatre," said Andrew Kato, the Theatre's artistic director. "Twelve Angry Men is a timeless masterpiece and incredible examination of our judicial process."

The play achieved superstardom following its Oscar-winning 1957 movie version, starring Henry Fonda, which the Theatre will showcase as the first of its free film series on Oct. 18. However, the movie will only provide a sneak peek of the power of the play, which serves to examine the principles of justice - and the belief in the United States that a person is innocent until proven guilty, Galati said.

"Twelve Angry Men is an invitation to participate in the judicial and the democratic process, and to do it with courage, rigor and compassion," Galati said. "It provides a look at people who gave up their work and family obligations so that their call to the jury and adjudicating a crime in court could be their focus. The play is an invitation to all citizens to be thoughtful and compassionate."

So does Galati think that the audience will agree with the jury's verdict? That's not the end goal, he said.

"What the play says to the audience is, "You be the judge," Galati said.

Tickets to Twelve Angry Men are $39-$57 and may be purchased by calling (561) 575-2223 or logging on to www.jupitertheatre.org.

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