Gumbeaux Arts’ heart has two beats: the arts and Louisiana. Reared in a New Orleans family whose artistic roots count at least four generations, Gumbeaux is always close to home when there is a stage to play on, an art form to play in, or a fellow artist to play with. Now residing in the heart of the state, Gumbeaux markets and advocates for community-based arts organizations and artists residing primarily in Louisiana—a mission to spread the word about arts in Louisiana, a spicy cultural mixture with a flavor all its own!
If you watched movies on television in the 1960s and 70s, you are likely familiar with the classic 12
Angry Men, a 1957 Academy Award-nominated feature film, directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Henry Fonda. Adapted for film by Reginald Rose from his original 1954 television play, the movie was a favorite of audiences for its provocative subject matter and dramatic performances by some of the best-known and soon-to-be-known actors of the time. Rose’s tale explores the ambiguities of guilt and innocence and the standard of “reasonable doubt” by which they are examined in our courts. The script has been adapted many times through the years, for television and the stage, and Sherman Sergel’s 1983 stage version plays authentically to the original with adaptability to gender-neutral casts and contemporary settings.
Angry Men, a 1957 Academy Award-nominated feature film, directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Henry Fonda. Adapted for film by Reginald Rose from his original 1954 television play, the movie was a favorite of audiences for its provocative subject matter and dramatic performances by some of the best-known and soon-to-be-known actors of the time. Rose’s tale explores the ambiguities of guilt and innocence and the standard of “reasonable doubt” by which they are examined in our courts. The script has been adapted many times through the years, for television and the stage, and Sherman Sergel’s 1983 stage version plays authentically to the original with adaptability to gender-neutral casts and contemporary settings.
12 Angry Jurors, presented by the City Park Players in Alexandria, finds a group of disparate individuals sequestered, following the capital murder trial of a 19-year old man accused of brutally stabbing his father. Once the jury is instructed and settled in the jury room, an initial survey of the panel reveals eleven votes in favor of conviction and one for acquittal. Rife with evocative emotion and timeless moral quandary, the remainder of the play follows their intense deliberations as Juror 8, the lone dissenter, first defends his doubts, then asserts them as, one by one, other jurors find his questions about the trial’s evidence and witness testimonies reasonable.
Co-directors Jim Leggett and Theresa Louviere stick close to the work’s time-tested script and stage direction, making practical modifications where necessary. In particular, placing the intermission at an emotional peak enlarges the drama of the moment and allows the suspense to span the break. Smart staging and blocking make full use of the stage area and keep the audience engaged with the actors. A simple, largely unadorned set provides appropriate context and function without unwanted distraction, keeping the focus on the volatile drama unfolding on stage.
The range of experience among the production’s cast is as diverse as the characters they portray, with a mix of stage veterans and novices, alike. This results in some uneven characterizations and performances among individuals, with some overmatched by others, but in all, the cast is cohesive and focused, with a natural interplay between characters.
Notable performances include David Sharp as Juror 11 and newcomer Rodessa Metoyer as Juror 9, whose embodiment of character and delivery were among the most even and authentic. Joshua Goodnight as the earnest Juror 8 and Joe Kutch as vengeful Juror 3 are solid as the emotional bookends between which the other characters grapple, with Tim Landry as Juror 10 filling his explosive role completely.
City Park Players succeeds best in this production by producing theatre that is not only enjoyable, but also accessible, involving, and connected to the surrounding community. The Alexandria Bar Association is a co-producer of the production, which opened to coincide with Law Day, observed on May 1 to mark our nation’s commitment to the rule of law. Four active attorneys are members of the cast and, in a particular highlight, the usual voiceover role of “Judge” is filled with local, sitting judges. On opening night, in a surprise walk-on appearance, a berobed U.S. District Judge Dee Drell read the instructions to the offstage jury before “dismissing” them to the Jury Room, giving a memorable touch of authenticity to the coming action and delighting the audience completely. 12 Angry Jurors, done well, always has the ability to move audiences emotionally and intellectually. But it is touches like these—touches that community theatre can apply so adeptly—that can turn a show into an event that lives long and vividly in the collective community memory.
---Gumbeaux Arts
---Gumbeaux Arts
12 Angry Jurors continues its run on the Hearn Stage of the Kress Theatre in Alexandria through Mother’s Day, May 13. Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30; Sunday afternoon at 2:30. Tickets are available at http://cityparkplayers.
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