Director Sheldon Epps takes a bold step in splitting the cast of this classic piece of American literature by Reginald Rose in half by race: black and white. This is an interesting idea that I will revisit later. But-
I'm going to keep this review short, because all I really need to say is that this was a very good production of a very good play.
The cast is tight all around, really brining the diverse backgrounds and personalities of the men to life. Juror #8 played by Jason George of Grey's Anatomy (among other pieces of film and television) really brings the show home, while each of the men really grips the audience through elements of humor, passion, prejudice and experience. The acting was extremely impressive, even heartwarming in a play as tense as this, but, that being said, this is such a well written piece of theatre that the show really speaks for itself. There's no question why it's a classic piece of American theatre and literature. My friends and I really were on the edge of our seats the entire time (even though the two theatre majors were completely familiar with the plot).
Talking with my theatre-going friends at dinner after the show, we all agreed that the show was great, very well done. Our only hesitation is that we would have liked to see the black/white dynamic, perhaps showcased through different roles. Or, switching roles amongst the cast at every performance. At the end of Act I, we see that the jury is split, the blacks thinking the boy on trial is innocent, the whites saying guilty. Stereotypically, this does make sense, but we were interested in seeing how the play played so to speak if the roles had been reversed or jumbled.
Don't miss it. I feel like I'm being brief, but this is one of the best shows I've seen upon moving back to LA.
---
12 Angry Men runs November 5th through December 1st at the Pasadena Playhouse. For tickets and information, check out 12 Angry Men.
No comments:
Post a Comment