12 Angry – and Talented – Men in Baltimore

          In most ways, the presentation of the classic courtroom drama, Twelve Angry Men, which opened last night at Baltimore's Hippodrome Theatre, is as contemporary and current a play as anything new on Broadway. Although it was written in and takes place in the 1950's and was a ground-breaking television program and film long before it ever made it to the stage, it plays like a very good, ok, excellent, episode of Law and Order. (It should be noted that most of the company has appeared on that very show.) Only two things really make it dated, and neither will stop theatergoers from leaving the show fully satisfied. Those things are the need for an exceedingly neat and tidy ending, which the play has, and the way the jurors analyze the minutia of the evidence is more like what we'd expect the attorneys to do today, not the men making the decision of life or death. Yes, short of being DNA experts, these twelve men rip through the evidence much like someone on Law and Order and CSI. In fact both programs, and dozens of others like it, owe Twelve Angry Men a debt of gratitude for setting that standard.

           I had the benefit of not having seen any version of this story, so the plot's twists and turns, if not the pretty obvious ending, had me on the edge of my seat. Each revelation was a surprise, and I found myself trying to figure out what really happened right along with the jurymen. Actually, there were a few times where I wasn't entirely sure we'd get to the ending I thought we'd get, and even when it turned out as I had suspected, I wasn't disappointed, but rather fully satisfied. Given the title, I expected heated arguments and even a fist fight, but I did not expect the level of humor that nicely tempers this otherwise taut, highly emotional, near-thriller. It is sad to note that for all of our purported progress as an accepting nation, nothing much has really changed in terms of beliefs in America. The unseen boy on trial for his life is never named, nor is his race given, but we know he was born and raised in the New York slums, and one particularly heated monologue filled with slurs about "them" and "their type", mixed with such phrases as "breeding" and "us versus them" strongly suggests that the boy is of a minority race and not simply impoverished. The opening night audience sat in stunned silence as the juror spewed his hate-filled monologue, and heartily cheered when another juror soundly put him in his place. The entire play is filled with such emotional content - the role of the judicial system, rich vs. poor, white vs. minority, even Americanism vs. Globalization. Altogether, the script by Reginald Rose stands up as one of the more compact, tightly constructed and ultimately exhilarating pieces in recent memory.

          The script is greatly aided by the excellent direction of Scott Ellis. Upon entering the theatre, audiences will see a low ceiling bare room (designed by Allen Moyer) with a long table with 12 chairs surrounding it. Prior to the show, first-nighters murmured their suspicions that they might spend the evening looking at actors' backs. Needless to say, that was not the case at all, but rather just the opposite. For a claustrophobic set and circumstance there is a remarkable amount of action throughout, and every single movement seems necessary and organic to the moment. Never once did I feel like it was stagy just to keep it from being static. Ellis has created a tightly directed, thoughtful production. The fist fights, created by Rick Sordelet are equally realistic and exciting.

          When the play opened to much critical praise and a record-breaking run on Broadway, the company was comprised mostly of name actors (ok, big names on the stage). Here, the first national tour is headlined by actors Richard Thomas and George Wendt, both of whom are known by the masses as television icons, and both of whom have extensive theatre and film credits to their name. And both actors serve notice to a star-struck crowd that they have talents that far exceed those needed to play John-Boy Walton or barfly Norm. Wendt, in probably the least showy role in the company, handles his duties as jury foreman with authority and presence, and just enough weakness so as to make the ensuing dramatic outbursts believable. Those of you going to expect funny man Norm will be sorely disappointed, as he delivers a fine dramatic turn on stage. Thomas, on the other hand, has the pivotal role of the juror who has the guts to question the open and shut nature of the case they must deliberate. Everything he does propels the action and introduces the harsher themes of the show. Again, the role that made him famous is nowhere to be seen, as Thomas creates an impassioned everyman with guts, a lot of nerve, and not a trace of corny irony about right vs. wrong. (The lady behind me actually gasped when Mr. Thomas lit up a cigarette and smoked!) Perhaps the very best thing about both of these actors is not that they are fully committed to giving amazing, textured performances, which they do, but rather that instead of being "the stars", they graciously blend their performances into the mass ensemble which is really what the play needs. Both Mr. Thomas and Mr. Wendt understand that they may be the names to put an audience into the seats, but they are both cogs in a bigger wheel when it comes to the play. One suspects that were more selfish, needy celebrities cast, the play would have suffered from a decided shift in priority. By allowing themselves to blend in, they allow the entire cast to be surely one of the better ensembles seen on the professional stage in years. That selflessness is even mirrored in the full company bows at the end of the show.

          There is simply not a weak link in the entire cast. Each actor has a specific piece of the puzzle; each has a moment to shine. To single out any of them may seem derogatory to everything I've just said, but I will, more because I was able to identify quickly which juror number they are (none of the characters has a name) before they all started moving non-stop. Jurors 3, 5, 6 and 9, played respectively by Randle Mell, Jeffrey Hayenga, Charles Borland, and Alan Mandell stood out for me, and not just because they stayed in and around their assigned by number seats the longest. Mr. Mell is a particularly gifted actor, able to build, with ebb and flow, a man who comes with a full set of preconceived ideas about young men and their fathers. Slowly, as the tension builds, he, too, builds until the dam bursts and the emotion comes flooding out. Mr. Hayenga as the juror with the background most closely resembling that of the accused also gives a strong, thoughtful, and above-all dignified performance. He definitely stands up for the downtrodden. Mr. Borland, as the working class guy with the macho swagger and simple point of view, gives his character the requisite machismo, but plays him with enough smarts, compassion and bravado to make the character's change of heart completely believable. His defense of the defenseless is particularly good, lending almost heartwarming moments to the evening. Finally, Mr. Mandell, as the eldest member of the jury finds that beautiful balance between being sage and weakened by age. As he portrays juror 9, it is a wonderful reminder that the elderly can, should, and need to contribute their wisdom, experience and underrepresented voice to the fray that is American justice. Suffice it to say that were I able to match every performer name to juror number, I'd have something significant to say about each performance. It is a testament to the quality of the entire production that I was so engrossed that I didn't stop paying attention enough to figure out who is who.

          Stunning ensemble acting by the cast, tight, exciting direction and a well-written script used to bring people to live theatre in droves when Twelve Angry Men was on television and in the movies. This production, in Baltimore for just two weeks, delivers all of that and more. If there is any justice, tickets will be hard to get. It richly deserves packed houses.

(Photos of The Roundabout Theatre Company's Twelve Angry Men by Joan Marcus. TOP:Richard Thomas; MIDDLE: (Standing, L to R:George Wendt, Charles Borland and Richard Thomas; BOTTOM: The First National Touring Company)

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