 "Photo: Raven Theatre")
Perhaps there is poetic justice in the fact that the Raven Theatre’s production of Twelve Angry Men is so lopsided. After all, it is a play about the swing between emotional extremes. As the characters themselves range across the scale from just to prejudiced, director Aaron Todd Douglas veers between fine theatre and a mismanaged mess.
Let’s start with the good qualities. The acting is just great, which for this play in particular is extremely important. Reginald Rose’s Twelve Angry Men is the story of 12 jurors who are trapped in a sweltering room until they reach a verdict on a murder case. No one can leave the room, and with the single exception of the bailiff who pops in and out occasionally to deliver evidence, no one enters. Therefore, the 12 actors must both establish their character among the sea of other performances and work with one another to communicate the group dynamic. This is crucial to the success of the play.
C.L. Brown leads the cast as Juror #8, a white knight figure arguing for justice. He completely embodies the character, a fact that becomes apparent in a scene in which the characters compare each other’s heights. I thought Brown was tallest, an appropriate quality in a play’s hero. However, when placed back-to-back with another actor, it turns out that Brown is actually a rather short man. It is the way he holds himself that made me think he was tall. When an actor can make you doubt your eyes, you know you have something.
As good as Brown is, he is nearly overshadowed by the other actors. Part of this is his subtle acting style, but another factor is that while Juror #8 is defined by his goodness, the others are significant due to their weaknesses. Dramatically speaking, purity is never as interesting as sin, and in Twelve Angry Men the most interesting sinner is Juror #3 (Dan Loftus), a self-loathing force of destruction. Bombastic without being hysterical, Loftus presents the audience a truly frightening character and then makes us pity him.
Another positive quality of the play was the set. Rather than simply presenting an area with a few chairs, scenic designer Kelly Dailey created a grungy room with one dirty window that overlooks city squalor. The fact that not all of the chairs sit flat on the ground is surely not a coincidence.
The costuming by Sharlet Webb tells a story of its own. For example, timid Juror #2 (Steve Herson) is frequently shouted down by his peers, but any man who wears a red bowtie with a yellow shirt has hidden depths. Sure enough, he eventually reveals himself to be a man with a good heart, if a little ridiculous.
But there is one terrible problem with the Raven’s Twelve Angry Men: The blocking is simply awful. Several of the most important speeches are delivered by actors with their backs to the audience. The performers themselves seem aware of this as they crane their necks to address both the other characters and the audience. Did director Aaron Todd Douglas even watch the rehearsals? How did this get to opening night without someone objecting?
It is disappointing that a production with so many excellent qualities falters so badly on one issue, especially one that could easily be fixed.
While I did enjoy Twelve Angry Men overall, its one defective quality threw all its redeeming qualities into a negative light. Excellent acting means nothing if the actor in question can’t be seen. Hopefully, some brave audience member had a word with the director after the show, and Douglas will fix the problem in this fine production.
Twelve Angry Men is now playing at the Raven Theatre until Apr. 17. Tickets are $25 on Thursdays and Sundays and $30 on Fridays and Saturdays. Students get a $5 discount. Raven Theatre is located at 6157 N. Clark St. Performances times are at 8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat. and 3 p.m. on Sundays
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