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Transcript

12 Angry Jurors

Crash Course

(not the John Green kind)

Why This Show

Audience Appeal

  • A play about democracy and the responsibility of jury duty feels relevant.
  • The characters are easily identified with. These could easily be characters within our own community.
  • Stories that require the audience to make a decision for themselves keep the audience's interest.
  • There's a bit of an underdog story here in regards to Juror #8.

Actor Appeal

  • This is a character-heavy play. The momentum of this production relies on strongly developed characters and snappy dialogue.
  • The script provides enough little tidbits of information about each character so that the actor doesn't feel "hung out to dry," but there's also a great deal of leeway that allows actors to make some decisions about their characters.

Stage Appeal

  • While not a particularly complex set, it will come with its challenges since we're doing this show in the round.
  • There are several hand props to deal with, some of which will need to be customized.
  • Little details (like the smell of brewed coffee) will make this set feel very realistic.

Costume and Makeup Appeal

  • We're in contemporary time, so we aren't limited by a time period.
  • Costume designs must strongly reflect character personality.
  • Some of the characters' costumes need to "evolve" as the story progresses, so costume plans must reflect that.
  • While primarily working with basic stage makeup, we will be using fine lines, wrinkles, etc. This is a great show to experiment with aging our actors.

The Challenges

Actor Challenges

  • The deliberation room in the show is meant to be quite stuffy. You'll have to portray the uncomfortable atmosphere of the room in the relative comfort of the auditeria.
  • Each character comes with their own unique challenges. Juror #8 can't be too righteous; Juror #11 can't be a racial stereotype; Juror #10 is more hateful and bigoted than most people are comfortable dealing with; Juror #3 has a quick temper and his anger covers the spectrum; Juror #9 is elderly and must be played with great dignity...

A Note About Lines

  • This show relies heavily on snappy line pick-up. There can be no delay in cues unless purposeful.
  • Actors will have to learn their lines on their own time. No cop-outs on lines.
  • The lines themselves aren't difficult; the cues are pretty difficult.

A Note About Lines

Theatre-in-the-Round

  • You will be blocking using cardinal directions and angles.
  • You will stagger shoulders when "directly facing" another actor.
  • Ideally (and this won't always apply) an actor should move about every 12 seconds.
  • You will see the audience. Clearly. Because they will be close. Like, really close.
  • Theatre-in-the-Round is like being in a fishbowl. You're being watched from all sides.

Stage Challenges

  • We're in the round, but we still need to make the performance space look like a jury deliberation room.
  • In particular, we need:
  • a long table (not a cafeteria table)
  • 12 matching chairs (not folding chairs or cafeteria chairs)
  • a small American flag mounted somewhere
  • a water cooler, cups, and a trash can
  • a coffee maker (with coffee, brewed pre-show)
  • a window (that must open and close)
  • we have to stab two different switchblades into a wall or tabletop or something

Costume/Makeup Challenges

  • There are 13 different costumes, most of which are business casual. Each costume is unique.
  • We have a very elderly character.
  • The other characters range from 20s and up through late middle age. We will need to age most of our actors.

Technical Challenges

  • Lighting is simple, but it needs to be well done. We can't throw shadows around like we did with The Shadow Box.
  • We have 12 actors speaking regularly, and only 8 lapel mics. We may not be able to mic the cast; we will probably have to mic the set instead.
  • If we do mic cast, volumes are going to change drastically for certain characters (shouting, etc.)
  • Possible need to put someone on the catwalk to be ears for the show.

The Story

Setting

  • Time Period: Contemporary (2017/2018)
  • Location: Jury deliberation room (city/state not relevant except that diversity (economic and racial) is heavily implied
  • Mood: light at first, but quickly becomes very heated and tense
  • Weather: it is a hot summer afternoon and the room is not air conditioned; there is a window

Plot

At the beginning of Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose, the jury has just finished listening to six days of trial proceedings. A nineteen-year old man is on trial for the murder of his father. The defendant has a criminal record (and a lot of circumstantial evidence piled against him). The defendant, if found guilty, would receive a mandatory death penalty.

The jury is sent to a hot, uncomfortable room to deliberate. Before any formal discussion, they cast a vote. Eleven of the jurors vote “guilty.” Only one juror votes “not guilty.” That juror, who is known in the script as Juror #8 is the protagonist of the play. As the tempers flare and the arguments begin, the audience learns about each member of the jury.

About Jury Deliberation

Jury deliberations in a criminal trial are the stuff of drama and mystery: Drama because they come at the end of an often contentious trial; mysterious because what goes on behind the closed door to the jury room generally remains a secret.

About Jury Deliberation

A Juror's Duty

People on a jury are instructed by the judge that they must deliberate with one another in an attempt to reach a verdict. Jurors are told to approach the case with open minds, and to change their minds if they realize they are wrong. Reaching a compromise verdict (in which some jurors support a verdict only in order to reach a conclusion) is a violation of the duty to deliberate. Deliberations cannot begin until all are present, and they cannot continue if someone leaves the room.

Choosing a Foreperson

One of the first orders of business for the jury is to choose a foreperson. That individual will be the jury’s spokesperson in court and will preside over their deliberations, but the foreperson’s opinions should not be given more deference than those of any other juror. However, in practice the foreperson's may be given special weight, if only because the job is normally accepted only by those who are comfortable (and perhaps skilled) at leadership.

The Care and Handling of a Jury

Jurors are largely left to themselves to come and go during the trial, but once the case is submitted to the jury (following closing arguments and the court’s instructions), the jury is kept together, under the supervision of a court officer. The officer accompanies them to lunch and guards the jury room door while they are inside. Keeping the discussions during deliberations a secret will help prevent the jury from being influenced by outside considerations or information.

What Can the Jury Bring Into the Jury Room?

  • Judges have broad discretion when it comes to allowing the jury to bring or have items in the deliberation room. Normally jurors are not allowed to bring outside reading materials with them, and this prohibition may, in some states, extend to keeping one’s cell phone.
  • Jurors are allowed to ask for and receive all items received in evidence (such as audio recordings, medical reports, and police reports), the jury instructions themselves, and any notes taken by the jurors during the trial.

Dealing with Deadlock (A Hung Jury)

Sometimes even the most conscientious jury cannot reach a verdict. When the foreperson reports that the jury is “hopelessly deadlocked,” the judge has a choice: Declare a mistrial (setting the stage for another trial), or admonish the jury to go back and keep trying. Hoping to salvage the case and avoid another trial, judges almost always ask the jury to keep trying, at least once. The judge will encourage cooperation and open mindedness, but will try to avoid coercing the jury.

The Characters

The Guard/Bailiff

  • Walk-on with few lines
  • Wears a uniform
  • Responsible for leading the jurors in and out of the deliberation room
  • Brings requested evidence to the deliberation room

The Guard/Bailiff

#1

  • lead
  • Also known as the foreman of the jury
  • Enjoys the role of authority he has
  • Handles himself formall
  • Initially influenced by the opinions of others

Personality Traits

  • organized
  • disciplined
  • methodical
  • composed

#1

#2

  • supporting
  • Inexperienced in evaluating a case
  • Strongly influenced by others; finds it difficult to maintain any opinions of his own

Personality Traits

  • lacks confidence
  • timid
  • submissive
  • sharp minded
  • rational thinker

#3

  • lead
  • Has preconceived notions on the basis of his personal differences with his own son
  • Puts his emotional baggage into the case
  • Makes decisions without analyzing a situation
  • He bullies others into going along with his beliefs

Personality Traits

  • aggressive
  • temperamental
  • emotional
  • rigid mindset
  • not a team player
  • biased
  • deeply unhappy
  • stubborn

#4

  • supporting
  • Urges fellow jurors to avoid emotional arguments and engage in rational discussion
  • Strongly bases his views on evidence
  • Presents himself well
  • Comes off as a touch arrogant without being mean

Personality Traits

  • driven by facts
  • egotistical
  • wealthy
  • powerful
  • composed

#5

  • supporting
  • youngest of the jurors
  • nervous about expressing his opinion, especially in front of the elder members
  • grew up in the slums
  • has witnessed knife fights
  • takes the case very seriously

Personality Traits

  • good decision maker
  • sympathetic
  • introverted
  • submissive
  • fearful

#5

#6

  • supporting
  • house painter by trade
  • honest but dull-witted
  • comes to decisions slowly and carefully
  • struggles to see the good in others, though inherently good himself
  • extraordinarily "average"

Personality Traits

  • thoughtful
  • good decision maker
  • calm

#6

#7

  • supporting
  • Slick salesman-type
  • Would do anything to get out of jury duty or to just go home
  • Feels jury duty is a waste of his time
  • A bully and a coward

Personality Traits

  • obnoxious
  • irresponsible
  • insensitive
  • unfocused
  • undisciplined
  • not a thinker

#7

#8

  • lead
  • He votes "not guilty" during the first vote by the jury
  • The protagonist/hero
  • Devoted to justice and sympathetic towards the defendent
  • Takes jury duty very seriously and feels very strongly that he must convince the other jurors to his way of thinking

Personality Traits

  • logical thinker
  • critical evaluator
  • good temperament
  • visionary
  • team player
  • practical
  • convincing
  • leader
  • prepared
  • decision maker

#9

  • lead
  • Mild, gentle old man
  • Long since defeated by life
  • At the point where he's just waiting to die
  • Very knowledgable of himself

Personality Traits

  • good follower
  • critical thinker
  • supportive
  • open-minded
  • impartial
  • responsible
  • strong (eventually)

#9

#10

  • lead
  • Arguments are incredibly irrational and biased
  • An angry, bitter, antagonistic person
  • Bigot who places no value on human life except his own
  • He's been nowhere and he's going nowhere

Personality Traits

  • abusive
  • prejudiced
  • arrogant
  • insensitive
  • bitter
  • overtly racist

#10

#11

  • lead
  • Refugee (originally calls for refugee to be of European descent, but to keep with modern times, will likely be of Middle Eastern descent)
  • has witnessed great injustices, so takes jury duty as a great responsibility
  • deeply appreciates democracy and America's legal system

Personality Traits

  • self-conscious (about accent)
  • good decision maker
  • rational
  • supportive
  • team player
  • agreeable
  • open-minded

#11

#12

  • supporting
  • Advertising executive
  • Thinks of human beings in terms of percentages, graphs, and polls
  • No real understanding of people
  • Lacks empathy
  • Tries to be a good person
  • Anxious to return to his career and social life

Personality Traits

  • herd mentality
  • superficial
  • snob
  • impatient

#12

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