“12 Angry Jurors,” the fall play at UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County, takes the audience inside the tight space of a deliberation chamber, on the hottest day of summer, as a random set of men and women come together to decide a young man’s fate. The case seems open-and-shut, but one juror isn’t convinced, and more importantly, truly wants to make sure the group only convicts if they think the evidence proves guilt truly “beyond a reasonable doubt.” That’s the setup for this tense, but reflective drama running from Dec. 7-10 at the R.G. Brown Theater.
Production Stage Manager Connor Dyess says the play is a great showcase for the cast of six men and six women, both campus students and seasoned community performers, who populate the jury room.
“They really have built this play together, figuring out how to literally be in this confined space, listen to each other, and tell this story,” said Dyess, a freshman student at the campus.
“12 Angry Men” was originally a television play by Reginald Rose, and then a popular film in 1957 starring Henry Fonda. The stage adaptation by Sherman L. Sergel includes men and women in the jury room, and combines a thrilling legal drama with multiple showcases for individual characters and considerations.
“It’s a classic American drama,” said director Damian Ernest, with important perspectives on trials, juries, and the Constitution.
Performances are Dec. 7, 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12, or $5 for students, and are available in advance at tickets.uwplatt.edu, or at the door.