Twelve Angry Men is an ensemble piece and this ensemble delivers: Timothy H. Lynch (Foreman), Bradley Foster Smith (Juror 2), David Jourdan (Juror 3), Kevin Adams (Juror 4), Andres Talero (Juror 5), Rich Montgomery (Juror 6), Michael Innocenti (Juror 7), Colin Smith (Juror 8), Richard Jamborsky (Juror 9), Mark A. Rhea (Juror 10), Mike Kozemchak (Juror 11) and Jon Townson (Juror 12).
David Jourdan plays the intense Juror 3, who is adamant from the beginning that the kid is guilty and continually lashes out at anyone that does not agree with him. Although the character is belligerent, I would have liked to have seen a more multi-level performance form him.
Director Christopher Gallu has done a yeoman’s job of getting twelve wonderful performances from each and every member of his exceptional cast.”
Three performances were my favorites:
Colin Smith (Juror 8), the best written character for me, has to convince everyone else that the case is not as easy to decide as the others want it to be. Smith does so with a calm demeanor and never raises his voice during the entire performance, as he tries to convince the other jurors that it’s not an open-and-shut case.
Richard Jamborsky (Juror 9) plays the older member of the jury. It’s interesting that Jamborsky himself was a juvenile court judge and trial judge for over 30 yearsYou feel sorry for Juror 9 when the other jurors gang up on him, because he is looking for more information before he makes up his mind.
There is a touching scene when Rich Montgomery (Juror 6) defends Jamborsky by standing up to the rest of the jurors by warning them that if anyone else insults Juror 6, they will have to deal with him. It’s a powerful performance.
Erin Nugent’s costume design that includes 1950’s shirts and ties – perfectly reflects the era, and because it is so hot and heated in the jury room – you can even see sweat stains on the actors’ shirts.
We have seen so many sensational trials of late and some verdicts that have surprised us, so what Rose wrote almost 60 years ago still rings true today: that you never know the whole story until you examine all the facts.
Keegan Theatre’s production of Twelve Angry Men is a ‘must see’ for legal types and for people that just want a great night in the theatre.
