Circle's Edge's “12 Angry Jurors" at Coralville City Hall -- September 5 through 14.
Friday, September 5, through Sunday, September 14
Coralville City Hall, 1512 Seventh Street, Coralville IA
A 1957 film classic currently ranked by Internet Movie Database voters as the fifth-greatest movie of all time, Sidney Lumet's riveting 12 Angry Men will, from September 5 through 14, be given a fresh spin via Circle's Edge, an offshoot of City Circle Theatre Company. With 12 Angry Jurors delivering a gender-blended take on a work described by the New York Times as a "taut, absorbing, and compelling drama that reaches far beyond the close confines of its jury-room setting," this jury-room saga will be staged in Coralville City Hall, the Circle's Edge talents continuing their dedication to immersive-theatre experiences.
In author Sherman L. Sergel's stage adaptation of Reginald Rose's Oscar-nominated film script, with the setting a humid Manhattan courthouse in the summer of 1972, the trial of a 19-year-old man for the fatal stabbing of his father has just concluded. It looks like an open-and-shut case – until, that is, one of the jurors takes a look at the facts in a new way. Evidence is consequently re-examined, tempers get short, and arguments grow heated as issues become personal, with each juror inevitably revealing his or her own character. As the various testimonies are re-examined in 12 Angry Jurors, the murder is re-enacted and a new threat of violence breaks out, all in the pursuit of finding the truth and determining the right thing to do.
Directing 12 Angry Jurors for Circle's Edge is Elizabeth Tracey, a City Circle Theatre Company veteran whose recent productions for the organization have included School of Rock: The Musical, Anastasia, and Spring Awakening. Tracey's creative team includes assistant director Uri Lessing, stage manager Ben Nelson, costume designer Kaelen Novak, and props designer Stephen Polchert, and the show's cast of unnamed characters includes, by numerical juror order: Eve Minkler; Nancy Andreasen; Steven Jepson; Joe Kapp; Joe Roselund; Caroline Sheerin; Duane Larson; Ellis Fontana; Emil Rinderspacher; Jen Brown; Will Asmus; and Abby Dart.
Circle's Edge's 12 Angry Jurors will be staged in the Coralville City Hall Council Chambers September 5 through 14, with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Admission is $20-22, and more information and tickets are available by calling (319)248-9370 and visiting CoralvilleArts.org.
