![]() ![]() Initially, 11 jurors believe the evidence proves it’s an open-and-shut case, but the man known only as Juror #8 is troubled by several issues. ![]() Maltz hired Steppenwolf stalwart Frank Galati as director and gathered a dozen character actors who never make you feel like you’re watching a stale classic deflated by ham-handed community theaters.įor those who haven’t seen the iconic 1957 film version with Henry Fonda, 12 Angry Men focuses almost claustrophobically on a jury in New York City as it begins deliberations in a murder case that carries the death penalty.Ī teenager from the streets is accused of stabbing his abusive father with a switchblade. If the jury system is like a hummingbird ‘ it shouldn’t be able to fly but it does ‘ the same can be said for Rose’s procedural play and the Maltz’s top-drawer production. And we ought to be sadder for it.Ī play that was once a celebration of a genuine glory of Western civilization, the jury trial system, is now more of what David Mamet described ‘in The Verdict as ‘a prayer.’ There is something achingly nostalgic about a 1954 script built on the premise that men of good will can engage in rational debate and persuade each other to change their minds because both sides acknowledge that truth matters.Īnd yet in Friday’ night’s well-executed revival at Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Reginald Rose’s drama 12 Angry Men never feels na’ve or dated, only reflective of an era before CNN and Fox News’ screechfests. ![]() Reginald Rose's "12 Angry Men" plays at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre through Nov. ![]()
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