| "Twelve Angry Men" = One Happy Stephen......or... John-Boy Walton Makes Good! ...or... Why Indianapolis Needs to be a Bigger Theatre Town You don't really have to know me all that well to know that I love the theatre... and have ever since I was in college. Probably longer. So, that having been said, at any opportunity, I love to go and see a good show. Love it. I first saw the movie of Reginald Rose's Twelve Angry Men, I think, when I was in high school. Not the 1957 Sidney Lumet directed Henry Fonda-Lee J. Cobb version (which also starred Jack Klugman, Ed Begley, Jack Warden, and E.G. Marshall), but the 1997 made-for-TV version with Jack Lemmon and George C. Scott. (This version also had amazing performances by Courtney B. Vance, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Edward James Olmos, James Gandolfini, Hume Cronyn, and Tony Danza.) Immediately, I loved it. Such a fantastic story dealing with a wide variety of topics, like truth, facts, bigotry and prejudice, human nature, and one man being able to make a difference against difficult odds. I enjoyed it so much that, several years later while looking to direct a play my junior year at Olivet, I considered Twelve Angry Men for a time before deciding on Agatha Christie's Mousetrap instead. Still, it has stood as one of my favorite plays ever since seeing that initial film. So, naturally, when I heard that the Tony-nominated Broadway show was coming to tour for a five-night engagement in Indianapolis, I wistfully longed to see it. I must have mentioned this to a parent of one of my students (though, for the life of me, I have no idea how it came up in conversation) and he decided he was going to get me the hook-up. Sure enough, a few weeks later, I have an e-ticket in my hand to see Richard Thomas (a.k.a. John-Boy of "The Waltons" fame) in Reginald Rose's Twelve Angry Men. Joy! Not only that, but the seats were orchestra level (that's 'ground floor' for those of you who aren't theatre buffs) about seven rows from the front. Right around the middle. Excitement! The first thing I noticed, when walking up to the Murat last night at a quarter past 7:00pm, was the absense of suits. I was wearing one (well, actually, a pair of slacks, dress shirt, tie, and a sport coat... but it was darn close), but I only saw four or five other people there in one. I even saw a guy waltzing in with jeans on! I'm not sure but, assuming I remember everything I need to know from my Intro to Theatre class my freshman year of school, there are dress codes as a part of theatre etiquette. Personally, I think if more theatre happened in Indianapolis, people would know more about it and treat as something other than a night at the movies. That's more of a personal pet peeve than a commentary on the show, so I'll move on... The first thing I noticed upon walking into the Murat was that there would be no intermission during this show. "Brilliant!" I thought. "The director is really wanting to capture the tension and discomfort of the men onstage and is bringing the audience right into it! Fantastic!" And, I must say, it really worked well. In the script, intermission falls at the scene where Juror #3 is halted in his attack against Juror #8... but the action carried right on through which worked really well. I was talking with another patron after the show who said she couldn't imagine this show having an intermission. It really is only for the audience's sake, seeing as how the action logically picks up in the second act immediately where it left off in the first. Not including it here, in my mind, was a beautiful choice that worked very well! Also, the cast was fantastic! In addition to Richard "John-Boy Walton" Thomas (who played the lead - compassionate, question-asking Juror #8), other notable cast members were Kevin Dobson (Detective Bobby Crocker from the original "Kojak") as the racist Juror #10, James Greene (Bile from Patch Adams) as the elderly Juror #9, Mark Morettini (Correctional Officer Rizzo from "Prison Break") as the wise-cracking Juror #7, and Julian Gamble (numerous television roles, including a recurring role on "Law & Order" as Judge Slattery) as the boisterous, violent-tempered Juror #3 (a role played on Broadway by George Wendt, a.k.a. Norm from "Cheers"). With a show like this, having such a vast and diverse ensemble, it's important not to get just one or two solid performances. I was anxious when I saw only one name (that of Richard Thomas) on the marquis, but those fears were quickly put to rest when the show started and the others began to perform. I also enjoyed Jeffrey Hayenga as the analytical Juror #4 and David Lively as Juror #11, the Eastern-European watchmaker. The set design was also really incredible. From windows that actually produced rain to a light switch that actually controlled, not only lights, but a fan on the set as well, this is one of the more impressive sets I've ever seen... which is made even more impressive by its apparent simplicity. It looks just like a small room for sequestering a jury, but it was the attention to detail that made it incredible. The period fire extinguisher outside the door. The hints of a cityscape outside the aforementioned "raining" windows. The wall-length coat/hatrack and the bench underneath. The water cooler in the corner. All the mark of an incredible designer. I found myself impressed by the blocking. I was a bit nervous, upon sitting down, as to how they would be able to pull it off. After all, the only things on the stage (other than the things in the previous paragraph) were a table with twelve chairs all the way around it. For a time, about half the cast wasn't even facing the audience! This meant that the director needed to move them around, but make it seem natural. This was done to brilliant effect. There were times when certain actors were obscured, but never when they needed to be seen. It's no wonder, with work like that, that Scott Ellis, the director, was nominated for a Tony and Drama Desk award (and won the Outer Circle Critics award) for this production. Did I mention how close to the stage I was? I've been to the Murat for a few different shows and never have I had seats this good! Usually, I'm up toward the back of the balcony, straining to make out any sort of facial expression. Here, however, I could see all the expressions, all the antics - everything right up close! I started to feel a bit chilly a little while into the second act and was wondering why. Then I realized - the fan that the actors had turned on was blowing in my direction... and I was sitting so close that I could actually feel it! Man, those were incredible seats. Only a couple of things irked me. Honestly, I don't know if these were actor things or audience things. One or two of the dramatic moments (including the "Act 1 Finale" with Juror #3 rushing Juror #8) were played a bit comedically for my taste. I'm not sure if it was Richard Thomas' delivery of "You don't really mean you'll kill me, do you?" or the audience's need for some sort of cathartic response after witnessing Juror #3's explosion, but it seemed... out of place. There were a couple of other moments like that but, again, I didn't know if they were the fault of the actors or the audience. Did think it was worth mentioning, though. Bottom line: this show was spectacular. You know when you've seen good theatre, because you leave the theatre changed. You're different from who you are when you walk in... and that's what this show did to me. For those of you in Indy through Sunday, if you've got time and if tickets are still on sale, I'd highly recommend checking out Twelve Angry Men down at the Murat. A wonderful time is guaranteed for all! _______________________________________________________ Marclar and Mandie - be expecting phone calls from me tonight! |
