By Merle Exit
Theatre Time Productions opted to delve into its own past with a revival of the classic American courtroom drama “12 Angry Men.”
Originally written as a CBS teleplay, Reginald Rose reworked “12 Angry Men” in 1955 for its Broadway debut. Two years later, it was turned into a film with Henry Fonda playing the protagonist, Juror No. 8, and Lee J. Cobb taking on the role of the antagonist, Juror No. 3.
In case you have been living under a rock, “12 Angry Men” is a drama that focuses on a dozen jurors deciding the fate of a teenager accused of stabbing his father to death. The crux of the play is not whether a preponderance of the evidence supports a guilty vote, but rather if enough of a reasonable doubt exists to require the jury to acquit the young man.
It is a hot day as the jurors take their seats in a room with a long table, water cooler and coat rack. Voices of “he’s guilty” are heard.
The foreman, Tim Reifschneider, calls for a ballot and finds the outcome to be 11 votes for guilty with one for not guilty.
And so the 12 men settled in for a long and often contentious debate on the teen’s innocence. Because the decision must be unanimous, the majority believe it will be quick work to convince the lone holdout, Juror No. 8 played by Kevin Vincent, to change his vote.
As the men pile on, they reveal themselves and their prejudices to each other and the audience.
Juror No. 3, Bernard Bosio, is most convinced of the youth’s guilt and does not appear he could be swayed. Another juror has already made up his mind because, as he says about the minority group the teen is part of, “they are all like that.” Another panelist just wants to finish the job so he can use his tickets for that evening’s ball game. There is a wise elderly man and one juror with an accent coming from a European country who feels privileged to serve.
But barely any of the jurors want to be there as each has other more important matters to deal with. So the longer they sit, the angrier they become. There are quite a number of outbursts during the long evening.
Vincent, who also serves as director, has decided to stage the play in the round, providing audience members with the sense they are in the deliberating room. Seats located along the front edge of the stage give an even better perspective looking down upon the actors and sets.
Although the group has performed “12 Angry Men” in the past, Vincent said he chose it because it is a classic and provides him with the opportunity to take on the leading role. Community theater groups tend to have a certain number of actors who are regulars. But Vincent remarked that there were several performers in the show that he had never worked with and he eas pleased with the outcome.
A familiar name to community theater audiences in Queens also pops up in the show’s program. Rene and Debbie Bendana have been involved in community productions for more than 25 years. Ray Bendana, Rene’s son, plays one of the jurors.
Aside from some opening night line flubs, the production went smoothly, the acting was quite good, and, as Vincent said afterward, “nobody fell asleep.”
If you Go
“Twelve Angry Men”
When: Through June 29
Where: Colonial Church of Bayside, 54-02 217th St., Bayside
Cost: $17/adults, $15/seniors and children under 13
Contact: (347) 358-8102
Website: www.theatretime.org
