Will you see yourself in one of the ‘12 Angry Jurors’ at Maine East?
Watch a murder trial unfold when Maine East High School’s Fine Arts Department presents “12 Angry Jurors,” with performances at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, and 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sept. 26-27, in the school’s auditorium, 2601 Dempster St., Park Ridge.
Tickets are $10 with general admission seating and can be purchased at bit.ly/MEBoxOffice.
In this adaptation, a 19-year-old man has just stood trial for the fatal stabbing of his father. “He doesn't stand a chance,” mutters the guard as the 12 jurors are taken into the bleak jury room.
It looks like an open-and-shut case — until one of the jurors begins opening the others’ eyes to the facts. “We have nothing to gain or lose by our verdict. We should not make it a personal thing.” But personal it is, with each juror revealing his or her own character as the various testimonies are reexamined, the murder is reenacted and a new threat is born before their eyes. Tempers get short and arguments grow heated, and they become 12 angry jurors. The final verdict and how they reach it will be an experience worth seeing.
The show is directed by Maine East fine arts and English teacher Linnea Grooms. Behind the scenes is a tech crew of 36 students under the direction of auditorium manager and technical director Jessica Mitilineos. The crew designed and constructed the set, designed and will control the lighting, organized all of the props and handled the sound engineering. Costumes were designed by Briana Niven.
“’12 Angry Jurors’ has my favorite script out of all the productions I've participated in,” said senior Jackson Horvath, playing Juror 8. “All 12 characters feel so distinct and well-rounded. It’s been so exciting seeing my peers bring them to life. While the show is entertaining and thrilling, I was surprised at how relevant a lot of the discussion remains today. By the end of the play you will see yourself in one of the 12 jurors, and I think having an ensemble cast where you can empathize with all of them is a special thing.”
Junior Joey Wolf, playing Juror 3, said, “I think the show is a very interesting look into the human, real implementation of abstract ideals, like justice, portrayed through a beautiful, fascinating and stunningly plausible cast and story.”
For details, visit east.maine207.org/fine-arts-2/.