'12 Angry Jurors' to Pass Verdict at WHS This Weekend

Submitted by Windham High School Theatre Group:

Windham High School Theater Performs “Twelve Angry Jurors” Dec. 19-21

Twelve people enter a room.  Twelve people leave.  While inside, they decide the fate of a human life.

“Twelve Angry Jurors,” a tense and gripping drama, unfolds in a jury deliberation room where twelve jurors must reach a verdict in a homicide trial.  A young man has been accused of murdering his own father.  These jurors are strangers to each other, but now, as they face the prospect of sending this young man to the electric chair, they must confront their deepest prejudices, fears, and beliefs about right and wrong.  The case initially appears obvious to all but one juror, who raises questions that turn the everyday chore of jury duty into a high-stakes, captivating drama.

Windham High School Theater Company will present “Twelve Angry Jurors” from December 19th to 21st, with performances at 7pm on Thursday, December 19th and Friday, December 20th and a final performance at 2pm on Saturday, December 21st.

Director Jake Simard, a 2012 graduate of WHS well-remembered for his own performances in “Phantom of the Opera” and “The Drowsy Chaperone,” has returned to helm this production.  Leading a cast composed of both veteran high school performers and fresh new talent, Simard brings an actor’s emotional and psychological insight to his direction.  These qualities are essential, because in this play, opinions and interpretations are the only thing between an accused murderer and a guilty verdict.

The play was originally written by Reginald Rose as a 1954 teleplay called “Twelve Angry Men” and adapted into a stage play of the same name in 1955.  The themes of justice and conscience are as relevant today as they were 58 years ago.  Simard has chosen to stage this production as “Twelve Angry Jurors,” including both men and women in order to draw upon the full talent pool of Windham High School.  In the 1957 film adaptation of “Twelve Angry Men, “Henry Fonda starred as Juror #8.  However, Windham High School Theater’s production is very much an ensemble piece and not a star vehicle.  In Simard’s take on the play, every juror is essential at every moment: one vote changed from guilty to innocent—or vice versa—could mean life or death.

Tickets will be available at the door.  $7 for students, seniors, and WHS staff, and $10 for adults.  Seating will be general admission.