Twelve Angry Jurors at Midvale

I had the delightful opportunity to go see my friend Kristen in Twelve Angry Men (excuse me, Twelve Angry Jurors) at the Midvale Performing Arts Center last night. I've often wished community theaters would focus more on straight plays and less on musicals, and shows like this one are the reason why. While musicals often have cliche plots or confused messages, it's been my experience that dramatic theater provokes more thought and positive self-reflection.

There are a few theatrical gems I believe most Americans should take time to see. The Crucible by Arthur Miller is one of the first to come to mind. A good, solid production of The Merchant of Venice is another one. Now I'm adding Twelve Angry Men to the list.

Sorry, I mean Jurors. Look, I know why they changed the title of the play - women serve on juries, too, and it's far easier to cast women in community theater than men. But the title Twelve Angry Men just pops with energy, while Twelve Angry Jurors just sort of lackadaisically flops to its knees.

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Twelve Angry... People really takes the time to analyze what "reasonable doubt" means, and it challenges its audience to take their civic matters seriously. To this end, it fills the jury with hurried, impatient people - much like we often are - and shows them callously willing to throw one man to the executioner just so they can be on their way. As the plot progresses, though, we start to see the people in the jury are all sorts of individuals: immigrants and outcasts, professionals and housewives, ordinary men and women with consciences very much like our own.

Oh, and racists. The scene where the racist juror gets shut down is definitely a favorite, and Midvale's cast executes it beautifully. It's a goosebumps moment.

The production as a whole is pretty good. The set's a simple one - and that's fine, the production doesn't require anything fancy. They make some pretty clever use of technology when reviewing the evidence in the trial, displaying the most important elements on a big TV so the audience can see it, too. The costuming's another highlight - different modes of dress and hairstyles really make the jury feel like a group of strangers thrown together. Finally, the acting is pretty darn good where it counts, especially with the deeply moral Juror #8 and his most vocal opponents.

Oh, and the racist.

Twelve Angry Jurors opens tonight and has showings on March 1, 3, 6, 7, and 8. Shows begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Midvale Performing Arts Center (MPAC) 695 West Center Street (7720 South) and are presented without intermission. Tickets may be purchased online at www.midvalearts.com. Ticket prices are $7 for general admission, $5 for seniors and children, family passes are available for $25 (one household).