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October 14, 2009

Tense courtroom drama stands test of time

By Amanda Dyslin

Every Sunday night, mid-20th century men come into our homes, and we’re reminded who ruled the world in the 1950s and ’60s.

White “Mad Men” in skinny ties, shiny shoes and slicked-back hair — smoking, drinking and dominating women — were the decision-makers of the time. The AMC drama reminds us that sexism, classism, racism, adultery and homophobia were not only common, but standard among them.

Now imagine 12 such men, in 1957, determining the fate of a young, poor boy accused of killing his father, having to check their personal beliefs at the door and just see the facts. This is the premise of “Twelve Angry Men,” a Minnesota State University Theatre & Dance premiere, to open tonight in Andreas Theatre.

Director Paul Finocchiaro is staging the play “in the round,” meaning the audience will surround the set, a long table in a jury room surrounded by 12 jurors. The audience will have some of the actors’ backs toward them no matter where they sit, giving a voyeuristic feel to the show, Finocchiaro said.

To most of the jurors, the case is open and shut. But one juror sees the facts and those alone and argues reasonable doubt, creating more and more tension among the group as the play goes on. Dramatic dialogue and acting propel the play as each character begins to reveal his true character.

Finocchiaro wanted to stay true to Sherman Sergel’s adaptation by capturing the film noir feeling of the 1950s, despite the actors being in full color.

“We do it technically through lighting, colors, through the way the set is painted, the costumes worn by the actors, hair cuts — all kinds of things,” he said. “All the kind of extra accouterment that go along with the show.”

With so many shows on television based on law and court dramas these days, Finocchiaro believes the play still definitely has an audience.

“In the last few years, we’ve become a society that uses lawyers and the court systems more and more and more,” he said. “So and so is always suing so and so about such and such.”

Still, there’s always a challenge to make sure the acting is superb in a play where there is little action to drive it.

“I told them, the only way the audience will be invested in what they do is if they listen to each other so intently and take what is being said to them personally,” he said.

Episodes of “Mad Men” and “Perry Mason” have also been helpful, he said, in capturing the time period.

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