EDUCATION GUIDE
TWELVE ANGRY MEN
EDUCATION GUIDE
EDUCATION GUIDE
Prepared by
Jacey Erwin, Ph.D., Dramaturg for The Pasadena Playhouse
Graphic Design by Jessica Smith
Contents
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Production History: Television, Stage and Screen. .......................................Page 3
Reginald Rose. ..............................................................................................Page 5
Anthology Drama..........................................................................................Page 6
Studio One....................................................................................................Page 7
Trial and Courtroom Plays...........................................................................Page 8
A Short History of Trial by Jury..................................................................Page 10
Jury Service in the U.S..................................................................................Page 12
Youth Courts................................................................................................Page 13
One Against Many. ........................................................................................Page 14
Glossary of Terms.........................................................................................Page 15
Cast ..............................................................................................................Page 17
Creative and Design Team. .............................................................................Page 19
Q&A with Sheldon Epps.................................................................................Page 20
Behind Juror Three and Juror Eight:
A Conversation With Gregory North And Jason George..............................Page 23
After the Show..............................................................................................Page 27
Resources for Further Reading. ...................................................................Page 28
All photos are used for educational purposes only. They remain the property of their owners.
The Pasadena Playhouse’s Outreach, Education, and Audience Engagement programs and events are supported in part by
The Wells Fargo Theatrical Diversity Project and by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.
For more information on Outreach, Education, and Audience Engagement at The Playhouse,
please visit our website at www.pasadenaplayhouse.org or contact our Outreach & Education Manager/Artistic Associate
Courtney Harper at charper@pasadenaplayhouse.org or 626-204-7388.
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Production History: Television, Stage and Screen
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Twelve Angry Men was originally broadcast live on CBS in 1954 as part of the anthology series
Westinghouse Studio One starring Robert Cummings, Franchot Tone, and Norman Fell. The
episode won three Emmy awards: for writer Reginald Rose, director Franklin Schaffner, and Robert
Cummings as Best Actor for his portrayal of Juror #8.
Rose later adapted the material to the stage and into a feature
film directed by Sidney Lumet in 1957. The film was co-produced
by Rose and Henry Fonda, who played Juror #8. The cast also
included E.G. Marshall, Martin Balsam, Jack Klugman, and Lee
J. Cobb as Juror #3. The film was a critical success and was
nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted
Screenplay but lost in all three categories to The Bridge on the
River Kwai.
In 1997, the piece was remade for television with a more diverse
cast, including Jack Lemmon, James Gandolfini, Ossie Davis,
Courtney B. Vance and Edward James Olmos.
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Production History: Television, Stage and Screen (cont’d)
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Fifty years after the original television broadcast, Twelve Angry Men made its Broadway debut in
a production by the Roundabout Theatre Company starring Boyd Gaines as Juror #8 and Philip
Bosco as Juror #3. The Roundabout Theatre Company also took the show on a successful 2-year
national tour. The play is often adapted to include women as some or all of the jurors and may be
retitled Twelve Angry Jurors or Twelve Angry Women.
Questions in Context:
1. How might the play change with a jury of men and women or only women?
2. How might the racial make-up of the cast affect the meaning and/or perception of the
events onstage?
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Reginald Rose
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Reginald Rose was a prominent writer during the
“Golden Age” of television drama anthologies. Born in
New York City, Rose went to City College from 193738, and served in the Army during the mid-1940s. His
career as a television writer began in 1951 at CBS, and
he would go on to work for NBC and ABC as well. He
was nominated for six Emmy awards and won three,
including an Emmy in 1954 for Best Written Dramatic
Material for Twelve Angry Men. The teleplay was
inspired by his experience serving on a jury in 1954. ‘’’It
was such an impressive, solemn setting in a great big
wood-paneled courtroom, with a silver-haired judge,’’
Mr. Rose said in a 1997 interview with The Daily News.
‘’It knocked me out. I was overwhelmed. I was on a jury
for a manslaughter case, and we got into this terrific,
furious, eight-hour argument in the jury room. I was
writing one-hour dramas for Studio One then and I
thought, wow, what a setting for a drama’’’ (Kelly).
In addition to his highly regarded work in live television, Rose also wrote for both film and theatre,
and was nominated for an Academy Award in 1957 for the screenplay of Twelve Angry Men.
Throughout his career, Rose’s writing was characterized by a deep interest in contemporary social
and political issues. Reginald rose died in 2002 at the age of 81.
Did you know…that Reginald Rose was also the creator of the 1960s television series The
Defenders starring Robert Reed who would later go on to play Mike Brady on The Brady
Bunch?
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Anthology Drama
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Anthology drama was an early television genre in which each episode was a separate and distinct
story. Originally broadcast live, these drama anthology programs were acclaimed for their
presentations of socially relevant dramas and literary adaptations. The anthology series began
by adapting classic plays from the public domain and recent Broadway plays, but as audiences
and the number of series grew producers looked for original material. Writers like Reginald Rose,
Paddy Chayefsky (Marty, Network), and Rod Serling (The Twilight Zone, The Planet of the Apes)
were instrumental in developing the anthology form and are often credited with developing a
Golden Age of live television. Many of the teleplays originally broadcast on the small screen
would be remade as feature films or be adapted to the stage. Directors like Sidney Lumet (Dog
Day Afternoon, The Verdict), Arthur Penn (Bonnie and Clyde, The Miracle Worker), and John
Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate) got their start in television anthology drama before
going on to successful careers in film; and many film stars, including Paul Newman, (Butch Cassidy
and the Sundance Kid, The Hudsucker Proxy), Grace Kelly (Rear Window, To Catch a Thief), and
Jack Lemmon (Some Like it Hot, The Apartment), appeared in network anthology productions early
in their careers as well.
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Studio One
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Studio One was one of the most notable drama anthology series. Alternately known as CBS
Studio One and Westinghouse Studio One, it was the longest running anthology series, from
1948-58, presenting over 500 television plays. Studio One began as a radio program in the mid1940s and moved to television in 1948. Originally presenting adaptations, in the mid-1950s Studio
One productions turned to new works written for television that often highlighted contemporary
social concerns. As the 1950s progressed, anthology programs like Studio One began to decline as
disputes with sponsors over controversial topics, a shift from live to filmed programming, and move
from New York to Hollywood all contributed to the eventual end of the series.
Questions in Context:
1. Do you think live television dramas would be popular today? Do we have a contemporary
equivalent?
2. Which current social issues would make for compelling live television drama?
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Trial & Courtroom Plays
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From Aeschylus’ Oresteia to Arthur Miller’s The Crucible,
the plays about trials and justice have long been a staple
of theatre. Audiences may find themselves identifying
with the jury as questions of right and wrong, guilt and
innocence are debated in front of the audience. Twelve
Angry Men is an important part of this tradition.
Other famous plays about trials include Inherit the Wind, A Few Good Men, The Caucasian Chalk
Circle, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, and Shakespeare’s The Merchant of
Venice. Television and film also draw inspiration from legal proceedings with TV shows like The
Practice and The Good Wife, and movies like The Accused and To Kill a Mockingbird dramatizing
issues surrounding law and justice.
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Trial & Courtroom Plays (cont’d)
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Questions in Context:
1. What other trials would provide good material for a play?
2. Much is made of the relationship between the theatre and the courtroom.
What connections can you make between the two? What aspects are similar, what
differences do you find?
3. As an audience member, do you feel more involved in the events on stage or screen?
4. Why do you think plays, movies, and television shows set in courtrooms or about trials
are so popular?
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A Short History of Trial by Jury
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The Constitution guarantees defendants accused of a crime the right to a speedy trial deliberated
by a jury of their peers. The roots of jury trials date back to medieval England where various legal
actions provided possible models for the jury. King Henry II (who ruled from 1154-1189) established
a system in which twelve “free and lawful men” would decide and resolve land and inheritance
disputes. In 1215, King John signed the Magna Carta, which served as the foundation for the English
system of common law. Perhaps the most famous clause of the Magna Carta, Article 39, reads:
No freeman shall be arrested or imprisoned or deprived of his freehold or
outlawed or banished or in any way ruined, nor will we take or order action
against him, except by the lawful judgment of his equals and according to
the law of the land.
This clause has been interpreted as a guarantee to a trial
by jury. Originally jurors were “self-informing,” meaning they
came to court with a pre-existing knowledge of the facts of
the case. Over time, the “self-informing” jury shifted to a
jury that heard evidence and testimony presented at trial.
Juries were viewed as a means of protecting the defendant
against the harsh laws of the time, often a death sentence
for convicted felons. In the American colonies, the jury
protected colonists from unjust British laws. By the time of
the American Revolution, the right to a trial by jury was considered a basic right in every colony
and the British attempt to restrict this right became a major criticism of the colonists and was
included as a grievance against the king in the Declaration of Independence. The right to a trial by
jury was considered so essential that it was guaranteed in the body of the U.S. Constitution:
“The trial of all crimes, except in cases of impeachment, shall be by jury;
and such trial shall be held in the state where the said crimes shall have been
committed; but when not committed within any state, the trial shall be at such
place or places as the Congress may by law have directed”
(US Const. Art. III, sec. 2).
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A Short History of Trial by Jury (cont’d)
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and also by the Sixth Amendment of the Bill of Rights:
“In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right
to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and
district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which
district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to
be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be
confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory
process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the
assistance of counsel for his defense”
(US Const. Amend. VI).
Did you know? One of the most recognized symbols of justice
is the allegorical figure of Lady Justice. Pictured holding scales
and a sword, and sometimes blindfolded, she represents the fair
administration of the law, without prejudice, corruption, or greed.
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Jury Service in the U.S.
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Originally, jury service in the United States was restricted to white male property owners.
The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, promises equal protection of the laws, meaning
that states cannot discriminate against people or groups of people indiscriminately. The equal
protection clause is violated when a particular class of individuals is granted the right to engage in
an activity while another class of individuals is denied that same right. Therefore, laws restricting
jury service to white men violated the equal protection of people of color.
In 1880, the Supreme Court ruled that equal protection applied to trial by jury and that jury
service could not be restricted by race. However, the application of this decision was limited by
another decision that held that “a right to be considered for jury service was not the same as a
right to serve on a jury. As long as the state law did not deny blacks the right to be considered for
service, the defendant would have to prove that blacks had been wrongfully excluded from service
on a particular jury (ABA, “Dialogue on the American Jury”).” The effect of this decision was that
blacks were systematically excluded from jury service. Other minority groups and women also
faced a struggle to be granted the right to serve on juries.
In 1975, the Supreme Court ruled that excluding women from a jury pool violated the defendant’s
right to a fair trial by a representative cross-section of the community. In 1979, the Supreme
Judicial Court ruled that jurors could not be struck from service on the basis of traits such as race
or gender. In October 2013, California Governor Jerry Brown “vetoed legislation that would have
made California the first state in the nation to allow legal immigrants who are not citizens to serve
on juries” (McGreevey, AA1).
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Youth Courts
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An alternative to traditional juvenile court proceedings, youth courts allow first-time juvenile
offenders to face a “jury of their peers” and involve teen volunteers and former defendants in
the court process. “A youth charged with an offense opts to forego the hearing and sentencing
procedures of the juvenile courts and agrees to a sentencing forum with a jury of the youth’s
peers—other teens who have been trained to assume various roles, including those of attorneys,
court staff, and, most importantly, jurors who determine the fate of the offenders. Juvenile
offenders who participate in the youth court program avoid a criminal record while still being held
accountable for their actions” (www.courts.ca.gov/htm).
Questions in Context:
1. What does it mean to have a “jury of your peers”?
2. What are the implications of excluding potential jurors based on race and gender?
3. Do you think youth courts are a valuable alternative to the traditional juvenile justice
system? Why or why not?
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One Against Many
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“The voice of the majority is no proof of justice.”
– Friedrich Schiller
People often adjust their opinions or views in order to conform to the dominant or socially
acceptable position. This can be especially common for people engaged in a group task such as
serving on a jury. Standing alone against the majority is stressful in these situations; social pressure
and time pressure both make it difficult to stay true to our convictions. In Twelve Angry Men, Juror
Eight is able to resist the pressure of his fellow jurors to reach a quick consensus. This act reveals
much about Juror Eight’s character; his willingness to stand against the crowd is portrayed as an
act of courage. Juror Nine says, “It takes a great deal of courage to stand alone even if you believe
in something very strongly.”
Questions in Context:
1. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to stand up to group pressure?
How did you react?
2. Another way to think about the idea of one against many is in terms of the
“majority” vs. the “minority”. What do these words mean to you? Do these words have
connotations that influence their meaning? How do these words and their meaning(s)
resonate in Twelve Angry Men?
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Glossary of Terms
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Acquittal: “A decision by a judge or jury that a defendant in a criminal case is not guilty of a crime.
An acquittal is not a finding of innocence; it is simply a conclusion that the prosecution has not
proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Burden of proof: “A party’s job of convincing the decision maker in a trial that the party’s version
of the facts is true… In a criminal case, because a person’s liberty is at stake, the government…must
convince the judge or jury beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty.”
Double jeopardy: “A rule from the Fifth Amendment to the U S Constitution that prohibits a
criminal defendant from being twice made to stand trial for the same offense… Double jeopardy
protects defendants only for retrials brought within the original jurisdiction, which is why a
defendant can be tried in federal court after being tried in state court.”
Exhibits, exhibits in evidence: “A document or object (including a photograph) introduced as
evidence during a trial.”
Fifth Amendment: “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime,
unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval
forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person
be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled
in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property,
without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just
compensation”(US Const. Amend V).
Hung jury: “A jury unable to come to a final decision, resulting in a mistrial. Judges do their best
to avoid hung juries, typically sending juries back into deliberations with an assurance (sometimes
known as a “dynamite charge”) that they will be able to reach a decision if they try harder. If a
mistrial is declared, the case is tried again unless the parties settle the case (in a civil case) or the
prosecution dismisses the charges or offers a plea bargain (in a criminal case).”
Innocent: “A term that is often mistakenly equated to a plea of “not guilty.” Innocence is not
a legal term, but rather a philosophical, moral, or religious expression of nonresponsibility. By
contrast, a not guilty plea simply means that the defendant is demanding that the prosecutor
prove every part of the charged crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Many defendants who plead
(and are found by the jury to be) not guilty are probably not innocent under any reasonable
understanding of that term. Instead, the prosecutor may have simply failed to produce enough
compelling evidence, failing to convince the jury beyond a reasonable doubt.”
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Glossary of Terms (cont’d)
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Miranda Warnings: “The warnings that law enforcement must give anyone who is in custody and
about to be questioned by the police, if the police desire to use any resulting statements against
the person questioned. Custodial suspects must be told that they have the right to remain silent;
that they have the right to have a lawyer present during questioning; that they have the right to a
court-appointed attorney if they cannot afford one; and that statements may be used against them
in court.”
Murder in the First Degree: “The intentional killing of another person by someone who has acted
willfully, deliberately, or with planning. All murder that is committed with poison or by lying in wait
is first degree murder.”
Premeditation: “Planning, plotting, or deliberating before doing something. Premeditation is an
element in first degree murder and shows intent to commit that crime.”
Presumption of Innocence: “One of the most sacred principles in the American criminal justice
system, holding that a defendant is innocent until proven guilty. In other words, the prosecution
must prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, each essential element of the crime charged.”
Reasonable Doubt: “The standard of proof used in criminal trials to find a defendant guilty of
a crime. When a criminal defendant is prosecuted, the prosecutor must prove the defendant’s
guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt.” A reasonable doubt exists when a juror cannot say with moral
certainty that a person is guilty.”
Source: Nolo’s Plain English Law Dictionary
Did you know? The District Attorney (DA) or prosecuting attorney is employed by and represents
the state government in complaints against criminal defendants. The prosecuting attorney is
therefore an extension of the state rather than a private party. Some defendants have the means
to hire their own defense; regardless, the Sixth Amendment guarantees defendants the right to
counsel, ensuring that a lawyer may represent them in their defense even if they cannot afford
one.
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Cast
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Scott Lowell as
“Foreman”
Jeff Williams as
“Juror Two”
Gregory North as
“Juror Three”
Jacques C. Smith as
“Juror Five”
Ellis Williams as
“Juror Six”
Barry Pearl as
“Juror Seven”
Adolphus Ward as
“Juror Nine”
Bradford Tatum as
“Juror Ten”
Clinton Derricks-Carroll as
“Juror Eleven”
Robert Picardo as
“Juror Four”
Jason George as
“Juror Eight”
Adam J. Smith as
“Juror Twelve”
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Cast (cont’d)
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Did you know...that in the 2004 Broadway production, Philip Bosco (Damages, My Best
Friend’s Wedding) played Juror 3 and Boyd Gaines (Fame, One Day at a Time) played Juror
8? In the Center Theatre Group production in Los Angeles in 2007, Richard Thomas (The
Waltons, The Americans) played Juror 8 and George Wendt (Cheers) played Juror 1.
Questions in Context:
1. What is the effect of having numbers as character names? Would the play be different
if each character was identified by name?
2. Which character do you most identify with?
3. Who was your favorite performer?
4. Who would you cast in the show?
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Creative and Design Team
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Sheldon Epps - Director
Theatre directors are responsible for creating a vision of a playwright’s script; they lead the cast
and crew in the process from the page to the stage. They direct the actors in the rehearsal process
and oversee the other creative elements of the play.
Hethyr Verhoef – Production Stage Manager
The stage manager of a production is involved with every part of the production process. He or
she schedules and runs rehearsals, coordinates the stage crew, calls cues and entrances during a
performance, and oversees the whole show each time the play is performed.
Stepahnie Kerley Schwartz– Costume & Scenic Designer
The costume designer designs the clothes and accessories of each character in the play to
faithfully reflect the script and the director’s vision of the characters. A scenic designer designs
the overall look of the set of a play to reflect the original script and the director’s vision for the
specific production. Some designers approach the overall theatrical design more holistically and
are responsible for designing both the sets and costumes. Other designers known for designing
both costumes and sets include Tony Walton and Santo Loquasto.
Brian L. Gale – Lighting Designer
Collaborates with the set designer, director and the rest of the creative team to create the “look,”
and help tell the story of the play using the lighting and projections.
Jon Gotlieb– Sound Designer
Design the “soundscape” of the play, including sound effects and music required in the script.
Questions in Context:
1. Which design job would you like to do?
2. Write a letter to your favorite design team member. Did you like the lighting design the
best? The set? Let that person know what you liked, ask them how they did it, and
what you would have done.
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Q&A with Sheldon Epps
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Why are you inspired to direct this play now, in 2013? Do you
see parallels between today and 1954?
There was a morning in July that I awoke to our President in
the press room at the White House speaking seemingly off
the cuff about the verdict of a particular trial that had recently
happened in our country. Like many Americans, I was drawn
in by his emotions, his words, and his rallying cry. Unlike some,
I was in the position to do something about it. Our President
asked us that day to do some soul-searching, to convene a
conversation, to go to our churches and our families and our
workplaces, and be honest. Well my workplace is a theatre and
it happened that we had an unexpected slot in our season.
Theatre at its core should start conversations, provoke us to
think, to act, to feel, to do. With this production of Twelve Angry
Men, and the particular way it is cast, we are able to open a discussion 8 times a week about
something that is still vital to us all – equality and justice. So in answer to your second question, this
production takes place Then and Now. It is in effect timeless but more so timely. Sadly the parallels
or let’s just say it – the lines in the sand, the boundaries, the restrictions, based on the color of my
skin and many others are still here. Do I think this play will make those go away? I’m not that naïve.
Do I believe we will be forced to look at it and talk about it? Will it make some people angry? Yes
it will and well it should. Will some people cancel their subscriptions over this production? Yes,
perhaps. And that’s ok. We’ve been a bit too soft lately. A bit too eager to just entertain. With this
production, no one can say we are anything but bold. That is why we do theatre and what as a
theatre we should be doing.
How did you approach your work on this production?
We wanted to create an environment that is both then and now. A room in which we could all be
sitting, contemplating, being human – acting and reacting to the behavior of others. We spent quite
a bit of time in rehearsals just talking with each other. Talking about this play and about even more
what happens outside of this play. Who sat at lunch with whom? Who looked at someone the
wrong way? Did you say hello to everyone every day? What comments did you make and what did
you hear? It all plays into being in that room. It’s behavior over acting. It’s being human on a grossly
real level that 650 people can see every single night and not judging yourself for being human. If
anything, that’s the challenge in creating these characters – not judging them but understanding
and embracing the beauty of their humanity, their pasts – understanding how that makes them act
in that room
Can you talk about your decision to cast a jury of both black and white actors?
I feel that I have touched on it before, but there are people in our country who are so entitled,
who have this “casual” or “moderate” racism without knowing it. And also having this possibility
of power without knowing it. It just takes one person to speak out and take the floor. That’s
power. One person to speak against the racism that is so easily dismissed by other people
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Q&A with Sheldon Epps (cont’d)
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because “those people” whoever those people are to that person, are different. It’s the casual
and moderate racism that is, or can be, the most dangerous. It also bears saying that there is a defacto acceptance of a traditionally white power structure as that was the foundation off of which
this justice system was built. Look around, a majority of these are white people. This play can go
from what I believe its original purpose was in challenging the justice system and add on or focus
to a more deliberate power struggle between majority and minority and our perceptions about
that. The progress in this play reflects the power shift and the willingness of people of color in
our country to raise their voices when at the time this play was originally written, they would not
do so or not as openly or often. We would see the one or the two who would make headlines for
doing so – Martin Luther King, Jr. and the like. It took not only having the conviction to raise your
voice but the support of those around you and the strength of those around you to sustain that. To
continue to do that. Our President is a black man. If we cannot raise our voices now, when can we?
Do you think the proliferation of stories in the media about trials, interviews with former
jurors, etc. will impact the audience’s reception of the play? How so?
Yes, I’m sure it will and rightfully so. Everything that we have done in our lives, how we have been
raised, who our parents were and/or are impacts ones reception and reaction to this play. Who
will they side with? Are there even sides? I think there are, but who is right? Who is wrong? Who is
racist? It’s all in the eye of the beholder or in their heart.
Tell us a little about your collaboration with the creative team on this show.
This creative team is so smart. Our scenic and costume designer did not walk in the first day with
photos or pictures or suits and tell everyone what they were going to wear. She did not find a suit
she liked, copy it twelve times and say go. She took the time to speak with each and every man
about his behaviors, who he was, what he needed and what he wanted. Where he came from
and how he got there. This informed even the smallest of details to the perfectly tailored suit, to
one bought off the rack, to a hand me down, a torn cuff, and so on. The set design was something
similar; we decided it was a room. There was no escape, nowhere to hide. The space is in neutral
tones, again suggestive but not distinct of a place or time. There is a storm outside and it builds to
underscore where they are. Our scenic and lighting designers are also so well connected in what
they give each other in opportunity to create and play. There is grating through which light can
shine and cast shadows. We collaborated and understood each other and moved forward with
great care to let the play and these men take the stage and give them what they needed without
over powering them.
What do you want audience members to come away with after seeing Twelve Angry Men?
I suppose that one thing I would say is that it is for us (the theatre, the actors, etc.) to do our
work and deliver the play well, and for an audience to take away whatever is valuable for them
based on the chords that have - hopefully - been struck by the work they see onstage and their
experience at the theatre. I think that we should allow an audience to take away, to think about,
and to feel whatever it is they want to feel – not expect or require that everyone in the audience
will be stimulated in the same way. That said, it would not surprise me if some audience members
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Q&A with Sheldon Epps (cont’d)
____________________________________________________
left the theatre with their companions having a discussion, whether an easy one or not, one that
has been had before, or one that was finally being had. Hopefully those dialogues, if you will, will
be instigated by what as witnessed onstage. It may be an impassioned discussion, fiery so to speak,
or more of a thoughtful conversation. It may be something that brings up past experiences, current
events, or relationships. It would also not surprise me if the response is more introspective, causing
people to question themselves or others about how they act now, how they have changed, or how
they hope to move forward. I can only sit and experience for myself, feel openly, and respond as I
am moved to respond. I want our audiences have that freedom as well.
What makes your job fun, or what’s something no one would guess your job includes?
My job as a director is to create, to guide, to explore, to teach, and to learn and grow – what could
be more fun? I mean, I can think of a few things, but… I digress. My job as Artistic Director involves
much more, diplomacy, shall we say. It’s not just creation of art onstage, or a cast to perform a play,
but creation and cultivation of an organization, a staff, a mission, and we all come together to see it
through. It’s as though we’re on a ship. Sometimes the wind is strong and the sails are full and we’re
gliding across the sea. Other days, there is no wind, and you want to have the right people around
you and everyone just has to get together and blow.
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Behind Juror Three and Juror Eight:
A Conversation with Gregory North and Jason George
____________________________________________________
Why this play? Why now?
GREG: There’s a lot of timing about this whole thing for me. I don’t always feel, though theatre has
often been my church, I don’t always feel that it has a spiritual element to it, but for some reason
this piece…I feel like this is exactly where I’m supposed to be. It’s that first day of rehearsal, I don’t
always get that sort of feeling at a rehearsal…from the moment that I came in to audition there was
a feeling that this was supposed to happen…
JASON: I think the rest of the cast, the entire cast, had that same sensation from moment one.
GREG: I’ve known of this play forever, it’s a standard bearer. When I was in grad school, when
you have to figure out what you’re doing in a scene, what a scene’s about, I would always use a
courtroom as sort of the device to get into the play, as the concept for whatever it was, because
it’s so clear. You’ve got clear sides drawn; you have to play clear actions to get what you want. You
know, all of the action verbs that somebody will tell you in acting class to play: to deny, to blame,
all of that stuff is in a courtroom. So it was an easy concept to drop a play in for a minute and say:
who’s the judge, who’s the jury, who’s doing what to whom, and that’s where this play lives. And
what I think is really smart and different is— this play has always been about race—the conversation
is onstage while the problem is offstage. In this case he’s [director Sheldon Epps] brought it into
the play…
What makes this production different in terms of the way that Sheldon has cast this show?
JASON: …There’s something to be said for the fact that the guy who stands up in this production is
a black guy. You know what I mean?
GREG: A lot of times in non-traditional casting you’re asked to ignore the color of the person who’s
been cast, and sometimes it’s fine, and sometimes it’s like, but wait, he’s supposed to have a white
brother, okay…or they have a completely black cast, well like…that’s the black Death of a Salesman
and that’s a different thing and that’s fine, but that’s still not kind of the point, whereas this seems
to be done very much with intention and it’s not that I’m supposed to ignore that Jason is a black
guy.
JASON: Yeah, when you do Death of a Salesman with an all-black cast, or Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
with an all-black cast, it’s great, it’s a way of saying that these pieces can be done by any culture,
that these are human things. But this [production] is definitively with point. You know they’re doing
Romeo and Juliet on Broadway right now, black and white. And I remember reading that someone
was saying, the problem with doing a black and white Romeo and Juliet is that part of the point
of the play is that the problem between the Capulets and the Montagues is supposed to be an
insignificant issue. And as soon as you make it race, it’s not insignificant. It’s a big, honking thing…
But you can have a black family and a white family that cannot stand each other and it’s over a
ridiculous thing that happened forever ago.
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Behind Juror Three and Juror Eight:
A Conversation with Gregory North and Jason George (cont’d)
____________________________________________________
GREG: It’s like “God I hate you, and you’re black too? Oh man that sucks.”
JASON: And again, it goes back to, sometimes it tells you as much about the person who’s,
you know, who’s the audience, as it does about the people performing it. The fact that you say
it instantly has to be about this massive issue of race, and I’m like, well, no…in that particular
production, no. It could be that somebody’s dog crapped in their yard and they hate each other’s
guts ever since then because they wouldn’t clean it up. And it takes off from there. Um, but in this
particular case [with Twelve Angry Men], the elephant in the room, we’re all talking about it, we’re
coloring it, we’re marking off around it, it is hands down being discussed.
Why is theatre the place to bring up these issues - in contrast with other forms of
entertainment?
JASON: My main thing is this—film is a director’s medium. Whatever great speeches you have that
you’ve shot, whatever great moments these two actors had, when he does his final edit you can
be the strong silent type, all your soliloquy’s on the ground and you guys never actually interact
because they’ve re-edited the whole thing. You have no control over how it ultimately ends up on
screen. Film is a director’s medium, television is a writer’s medium. You [the writer] try to stretch
it for five seasons, you’ve got to figure out how to put all this stuff together. Stage is an actor’s
medium. And the fundamental piece is that actors, you are the final edit, you are the special effect.
And…I say special effect specifically because the audience has to participate. Film, television—
you’re being told what to pay attention to—close-up of the hands as they raise, close-up on the eye
as it twitches, close-up on this, close-up on that person. You can’t help but look at whatever it is
you’re looking at. You can see the same production on stage three days in a row and you’ll look at
three different things. Even if the performers have it cold and it is essentially the same production
every night. So with that, the audience having to participate, you can’t just sit back and let the
issues wash over you. You’ve got to be thinking, your imagination has to be in the game, you are
by definition involved in theatre and you can’t get around it. And that’s what actors do, an actor’s
job. A director is made to direct: “I’m directing you actors, I’m directing you audience, look at this.”
A writer is, “I’m going to give everybody words, I’m just throwing stuff at you.” As an actor, my job
is to make you believe, make you get in the game. And so, it will happen in film and television to a
degree, but in theatre it’s unavoidable. So, if you’re talking about having a conversation about fill-in
the blank, in this case, race, ethnicity…
GREG: Film and television are passive mediums. They’re experienced one-dimensionally. You’re
in the room in theatre, that’s the thing to me. It’s experiential, it’s different. Plus, you know, maybe
if you go to see a big movie you see it with a community, but this is different—it’s a true communal
experience. People around you are reacting the way they react and it’s all part of the conversation.
That’s why it’s interesting for an actor to do a play repeatedly, because in this case the “thirteenth
character” is different every night. It changes up stuff. You think, “Oh, they reacted to that, they’re
paying attention to this story or that through line.”
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EDUCATION GUIDE
Behind Juror Three and Juror Eight:
A Conversation with Gregory North and Jason George (cont’d)
____________________________________________________
You said the “thirteenth character.” Can you expand on that?
GREG: Well, you know, there’s always an awareness for a stage actor that this story is being told
for someone. And that someone in this case is 600 of your closest friends out there in the dark. So
there’s a difference between literally playing to them, and just including them in the circle around
the fire.
JASON: If two actors act in the woods and no one is around to hear it, do they do a play? And the
answer is no. You know what I mean?
GREG: And that’s what I think sort of makes it interesting. I know that actors get upset sometimes
with those people [the audience]. But I always figure, they rented the seat, they really have a right
to react however they react. I’m disappointed when that reaction is taking a nap, but then I figure
somehow we didn’t engage them. It is an important thing to remember. An actor in film and TV
may have an awareness that somebody’s going to see it, but really their partner is the camera, you
know? And our partner are those folks out there who are hopefully going to be engaged in the
story and that’s the only thing that keeps it, especially if you’ve ever done a really long run, that
keeps it fresh. It’s the only thing that changes. The story, the words, the set, and the people there
are the same…they’re the folks [the audience] bring in an energy that’s different.
JASON: Selfishly from an actor’s perspective, it changes the energy every night. The audience
being that other “actor” in the piece is always going to change it, that’s why it’s always going to be
different no matter what we do.
GREG: it’s the only thing that I sometimes feel is necessary to say to an audience. Because I think
that a lot of modern audiences don’t understand their responsibility. That it’s a conversation, you
know, a tennis match and if you hit the ball across the net and it just plops down the foul line and
nobody hits it back it makes it more difficult…I think the job of theatre these days is to educate
audiences, especially young audiences sometimes, that if they are engaged they need to let people
know they’re engaged. You can’t just sit there and be entertained, and make it come to you—we’ve
told the story before, and if you’re telling the same to joke somebody who’s heard it a hundred
times and doesn’t care, after a while you go, “yeah, forget it…”
JASON: It’s not really for us…
GREG: Yeah, we’re not doing it for us anymore.
JASON: And with that comes the fact that this happens one time. Something like it will happen
tomorrow night, something like it happened last night but this is a one-time thing. Whereas the
print of, pick your movie, is exactly the same every time you see it. It does not change…
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Behind Juror Three and Juror Eight:
A Conversation with Gregory North and Jason George (cont’d)
____________________________________________________
GREG: I would say it’s one of the few handmade products left, especially in entertainment. You
know, we’re the bespoke suit of the entertainment industry. You come in and we custom make the
show for you.
Questions in Context:
1. Do you agree that the audience is the “thirteenth character”? How so? What
responsibilities do you have as an audience member? How can you affect the
performance?
2. Do you think theatre is an important place to address social issues? Why or why not?
How does the unique quality of live theatre add to the discussion?
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After the Show...
____________________________________________________
1. Who was your favorite character? Did you agree with how he handled himself? How would you
react in a similar situation?
2. How does this play affect your knowledge and understanding of the American justice system?
Do the events onstage give you confidence in the process? Why or why not?
3. In Twelve Angry Men, the defendant never appears onstage. Does this affect your perception
of him? How do you envision him?
4. What does “reasonable doubt” mean to you? How certain would you need to be to convict
someone of murder?
5. What are some examples of prejudice in the play? What kind of language is used to convey this
prejudice?
6. How do each character’s actions and words affect the others?
7. If you were on a jury, would you be able to base your verdict only on the testimony and
evidence presented at trial? Would your emotional response or your own past experiences
make this difficult?
8. Do you feel you as an audience member are being asked to make a determination on guilt or
innocence along with the jury in this play? Are you implicated in the events taking place
onstage? How so?
9. How would you describe this play to a friend? What would be the 3 most important things you
think you should mention?
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Resources and Suggestions for Further Reading
____________________________________________________
“Dialogue on the American Jury, Part I: The History of Trial by Jury.” American Bar Association.
Web, 16 Oct. 2013.
Introduction.” Treasures in Full: Magna Carta. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.
Kelley, Tina. “Reginald Rose, 81, TV Writer Noted for ‘Twelve Angry Men’” The New York Times. The
New York Times, 21 Apr. 2002. Web. 09 Oct. 2013.
“LII.” Legal Information Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.
McGreevy, Patrick, and Melanie Mason October 7. “Gov. Jerry Brown Vetoes Measure Allowing
Noncitizens on Juries.” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 07 Oct. 2013. Web. 08 Oct. 2013.
“The Museum of Broadcast Communications.” The Museum of Broadcast Communications. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.
“Nolo’s Free Dictionary of Law Terms and Legal Definitions.” Nolo.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct.
2013.”Peer/Youth Courts.” - Collaborative_justice. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013.
U.S. Constitution. Art. III, sec. 2
U.S. Constitution. Amend. VI
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