Twelve Angry Men
by Fredericksburg Theater Company (FTC)
Aug. 12 - Aug. 13 (2019)
A 19–year-old man awaits sentencing for the fatal stabbing of his father. It looks like an open-and-shut case- until one juror feels that there is a "reasonable doubt" - to the frustration of his eleven colleagues - thus preventing a quick verdict. During the heated deliberations, the hidden preconceptions and assumptions of the jurors are revealed. When faced with playing the hangman, each juror is forced to confront himself. Tempers get short, arguments grow heated, and the jurors become 12 Angry Men.
Auditions for FTC’s Fall Drama “12 Angry Men” will be held Monday and Tuesday, August 12 &13, at 7:00 p.m. at the Steve W. Shepherd Theater, located at 1668 Highway 87 South in Fredericksburg. Auditions will be held by reading scenes from the script. Though it is not mandatory, preparing a 2-3 min dramatic monologue will help the director see the full extent of your abilities. Scripts are available to be checked out from the FTC Box Office.
If you have any questions, you can email the director Addison Powers at addison [AT] fredericksburgtheater.org with the subject line “12 Angry Men Auditions”.
Schedule:
A detailed schedule will be provided when the show is cast. Rehearsals are typically held Monday through Fridays, starting at 6:30 pm and ending around 9:00 pm. All cast members will be required to attend the technical rehearsals on Oct. 7th through the 12th, and all performance dates.
Performances:
October 11-27: Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2pm
Characters:
Foreman:
The Foreman is responsible for keeping the jury organized, which is his main focus in the play. He is an assistant football coach outside of the jury room.
2nd Juror:
A shy bank clerk who takes time to feel comfortable enough to participate in the discussion.
3rd Juror:
3rd Juror is a small business owner. He proudly says that he started his business from scratch and now employs thirty-four workers. We learn early on that he has a bad relationship with his own son, with whom he is no longer speaking. We are led to believe that this is a contributing factor to his prejudice against the defendant, accused of stabbing his own father.
4th Juror:
4th Juror is a stockbroker. He wears glasses and seems to handle himself with a very serious air. He deals with the facts of the case logically and concretely.
5th Juror:
5th Juror works in a Harlem hospital and says that he himself has lived in the slums his entire life. This gives him insight into such details as the use of a switchblade.
6th Juror:
A house painter, he is happy that the case continues as it means he doesn’t have to work, but is hesitant to put a potential killer back on the streets. He sticks up for 9th Juror, an old man, and seems to be a respectful man.
7th Juror:
7th Juror’s main concern in the case is whether or not it will end before his ball game, for which he has tickets. He sells marmalade and is generally indifferent to the case.
8th Juror:
He is discontent with the way the trial was handled and wants them to discuss the evidence in greater detail. Met with much opposition, he continues to advocate for the boy. We learn that he is an architect, by trade.
9th Juror:
9th Juror is an old man. He respects 8th Juror's passion and sense of justice and quickly comes to his aid and becomes an advocate for the defendant.
10th Juror:
He is one of the most fervent attackers of the defendant. Tactless and fairly bigoted, he condemns the defendant as “one of them” right from the start.
11th Juror:
11th Juror is a German immigrant watchmaker. He is very patriotic and talks about how much he loves the American justice system.
12th Juror:
12th Juror works for a marketing agency, to which job he refers to often. He seems constantly distracted from the case.
