By By Lisa Tindell
With only a small cast of members, the Greater Escambia Council of the Arts will present “12 Angry Jurors” at the GECA Theatre building Feb. 25-27.
Phil Johnson, director for this latest production of the troupe, said the show will be filled with several firsts.
Johnson said rehearsals for the event have gone well leading up to next weekend’s performances.
Johnson said those who plan to attend any of the three planned performances should consider the theme of the production before bringing small children to the show.
The show centers around a case involving a 19-year-old man who has just stood trial for the fatal stabbing of his father. It looks like an open-and-shut case until one of the jurors begins opening the others’ eyes to the facts. “This is a remarkable thing about a democracy,” says the foreign-born juror, “that we are notified by mail to come down to this place and decide on guilt or innocence of a man; of a man we have not known before. We have nothing to gain or lose by our verdict. We should not make it a personal thing.” But personal it does become, with each juror revealing his or her own character as the various testimonies are re-examined, the murder is re-enacted and a new murder threat is born before their eyes. Tempers get short, arguments grow heated and the jurors become 12 angry men and women. The final verdict and how it is reached add up to an exceptional piece of dramatic literature.
Cast for the show includes Sherrie Hursh as jury foreman with jurors two through 12, respectively, portrayed by Melanie Bennett, Phil Johnson, Kate Sherrill, Max Reed, Venia McMorris, Sharon Poulsen, Norm Boyd, Steve Billy, Mike McMorris, Patty Castleberry and Ellen Johnson.
Show time is set for 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Johnson said. Tickets are $8 in advance or at the door.