Review: 12 ANGRY MEN at Powerhouse Theater

It doesn’t matter how many times you may have seen Reginald Rose’s Twelve Angry Men, it’s well worth seeing it again. The Town Players of New Canaan’s professional version of this classic play may just be the definitive one.

The play is set in 1957 and Joel Reynolds’ set design has all the details the audience would expect of a New York jury room from that time. There’s a large analog clock and a photo of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Two large tables are placed side by side with 12 wooden chairs around them. Because the play is so compelling, it is impossible to have a poor production, but under the brilliant direction of Michael Boland, Twelve Angry Men is absolutely electrifying. There is a lot of movement among the jurors, so you don’t only see just the backs or sides of the performers. Although this critic has seen good productions with a mixed cast, there is something about staying true to the original play in its period by having an all-male cast. When the jurors get angry, the testosterone levels on the stage rise to a whole different stratosphere.

As a reminder, here is story. A 16-year-old is tried for the murder of his abusive father. The jury’s decision must be unanimous and if the verdict is guilty, the youth will get the electric chair. The mix of jurors. Juror #1 (Jeff Pliskin), the foreman, takes his role very seriously and tries to keep the discussion civil. Juror #2 (Jackson Moresco-Baeza) is a quiet banker who finds his voice during the deliberations. Juror #3 (Michael Boland) is the stubborn, opinionated, tempestuous one who is nursing the hurt of an estranged relationship with his son. Juror #4 (John Bachelder) is an unflappable logical stockbroker. Juror #5 (Cooper Smithers) is a paramedic who grew up in a slum. Juror #6 (Joshua Eaddy) is a house painter who is respectful and principled. Juror #7 (Austin Howe) is salesman and sports fan who just wants the whole thing to be over so he can catch a ball game. Juror #8 (David A. Gregory) is an architect and the first one to discuss reasonable doubt in the case. Juror #9 (Michael Medeiros) is the elderly man who is perceptive and insightful. Juror #10 (Bob Marlowe) is the loud, bigoted garage owner. Juror #11 (a.m. bhatt) is an immigrant watchmaker and patriotic naturalized American citizen. Juror #12 (Rob Kennedy) is an advertising executive who goes with the flow. Also in the play is the guard, played by Gus Bottazzi.

Every single role is perfectly cast, and every performance is impeccable. Only three actors – Boland, Gregory, and Medeiros are Equity performers, but the rest deliver professional, credible, multi-dimensional performances.

Produced by Deborah Burke and Noval Hall, this already great production was enhanced with the help of Assistant Director Dana DiCierto, Stage Manager, Laura Ploss, lighting design by Patricia Spugani and Sopie Bardos, and set decoration and costumes by Burke.

Although Twelve Angry Men (and its other incarnations such as Twelve Angry Jurors) is relevant in any decade, the timing of this production could not be better. The United States is polarized. Americans will soon be watching the fate of a former president who has been indicted on multiple serious charges, and about a third support him no matter. The Southern Baptist movement just started to remove women from the clergy. History textbooks in some states are revisionist. To Kill a Mockingbird is banned in some states, and that is a book that has inspired many people to become lawyers. This production brings the audience back to a time when decisions were made by people who were mostly male and pale.

Here's a bit of trivia. Reginald Rose died 21 years ago in Norwalk Hospital from complications of heart failure. We always appreciate a Connecticut connection.

Twelve Angry Men runs through June 24 at the Powerhouse Theatre in Waveny Park, New Canaan (off Exit 37 of the Merritt Parkway. For tickets, visit www.tpnc.org. Now that the school year is over, it’s an ideal time to take your teenagers to see Twelve Angry Men. It is important that they understand more of the legal system. My 16-year-old son loved the show.

Save these dates for the 2023-2024 season. The Fantasticks returns from August 26 through September 10. The Toxic Avenger: The Musical will play from Ocotber 13 through October 29. A Christmas Story runs from December 1 through December 17. Puffs plays from February 23 through March 10. Alice in Wonderland will enchant audiences from April 26 until May 12. FInaly, Eurydice will be presented from June 7 until June 24.

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