The 60-year-old award-winning drama, '12 Angry Jurors,' is still relevant today
It's a hot, steamy afternoon and 12 strangers are sequestered in a jury room to deliver a verdict in a trial that appears to be an open and shut case.
Or is it?
The award-winning play was chosen by the Sketch Club because, even though it was written more than 60 years ago, it is still relevant today. The drama centers on a jury charged with the responsibility of deciding whether a young man is guilty of murdering his own father. Each juror has different reasons for discriminating against the defendant -- his race, his lower socioeconomic background, personal relationships in their own lives, and so on. The men and women confront one another -- and their own prejudices -- in a struggle to deliver justice in an often unjust system.
Director Jeanette Carden says what makes this play so interesting is the diversity of the characters, and the opinions, ideas, and prejudices they bring to the discussion.
The Sketch Club Players will present the gripping drama "12 Angry Jurors," March 4-19 at the Playhouse at 433 Glover St. in Woodbury. Show dates and times are March 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19 at 8 p.m.; March 6, 13 at 2 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www.sketchclubplayers.org or call 856-848-8089.
The discussion will continue even after the final curtain call of one performance, as the Sketch Club will host a talk-back session with a group of teens from CASA (Camden Adolescents Striving for Achievement), an after-school group that provides an academic and social enrichment programs for underserved inner-city youths. On March 18, the teens will have the opportunity to ask questions, and chat with the cast; the entire audience will be invited to stay and participate, as well.