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Chris Walker (left from), Scott Harmon, Mike Hatfield, Steve McPeak and Tim Hall act as jurors in the performance.
Ethan Goins (from left), Valerie Bowling, Scott Harmon, Jackie Scaffidi and Steve McPeak discuss the case as jurors in the play.
The whole cast was on stage for almost the majority of the show, minus a few bathroom breaks for characters.
Jo Grayson (from left), Tim Hall and Don Grayson perform a scene in "12 Angry Jurors."
Don Grayson, as Juror #9, defends his point of view to Jo Grayson as Juror #12 and the rest of the jury. They Graysons are married and have performed in several TheatreWorks shows together over the years.
Tonight, TheatreWorks Community Players opens a show that features a panel of jurors from different backgrounds trying to make the difficult decision of declaring whether or not a man is innocent or guilty.
“12 Angry Jurors” will debut at 7 p.m. at the Black Box Theatre, 44 Franklin Street, and run through Sept. 15.
It begins with all 12 jurors going into recess to make a final decision. The different backgrounds of the jurors affect their decisions and turn what may at first seem like an obvious decision into a greater debate.
“12 Angry Jurors” originally was produced by Reginald Rose after it was adapted by Sherman L. Sergel from the play “12 Angry Men,” which was produced by Reginald Rose. The director of the TheatreWorks show is Joanie McPeak, stage director is Roslyn Simmons, and tech and sound are by Tom Berry and Mike Greco.
Scott Harmon plays Juror #5, a character with a similar background to that of the defendant, who had grown up in a slum.
This is Harmon’s first TheatreWorks play, but not his first time on stage. He has been in several Patriot Players musicals, including “Little Shop of Horrors,” “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast.”
A difference between the two types of shows, musical and play, is that “with a musical you have choreography and music in addition to your lines and your blocking,” he said. With a play, on the other hand, he can focus more on his character and “getting everything right.”
Another difference he encountered was playing a serious character who gets in arguments, when he usually plays the “loud, comedic character.”
“I’m not usually asked to get mad often,” he added.
“I like that he [Juror #5] can bring life experience to the conversation,” Harmon said. “That’s something that I don’t think a lot of the other jurors have.”
Harmon said his favorite part about performing with TheatreWorks is “working with these people. There’s such amazing talent here, and I’ve seen a lot of them in shows here, so it’s been fun to get to know them and be on the other side of it.”
Recently retired Henry County administrator Tim Hall, who last week joined Uptown Partnership as interim executive director, plays Juror #11, an immigrant, adding a unique perspective. This is the first show Hall has ever acted in, but he has attended most of the TheatreWorks shows over the years.
He said that he never had the time to commit to being in a show and never thought he would be good at it, but now that he has retired, he has some time freed up. “I’ve always loved this movie, I love this message … I asked my wife what she thought, and she did not laugh out loud, so I took that as a yes.”
“My character is very much devoted to doing things the right way. He’s a recent addition to the country. He came here for the purpose of having the freedom to do what he thinks is right, and he’s very adamant that things should be done correctly,” Hall said.
Hall’s impression of being a part of a cast was that he was “naïve at how incredibly hardworking these folks are, countless hours, countless weeks of practice … I was welcomed very warmly.”
Valerie Bowling plays Juror #10, a character with a grating xenophobic personality. Bowling has been six shows since 2017, but normally enjoys playing comedic characters over more serious ones. She said that she had to sit with this role for a bit and try to “like her [Juror #10] and understand who she was.”
What she found to like in her character was that she would speak her mind and stick with what she thinks is right.
Bowling said she missed performing during the pandemic, saying she had decided that she “didn’t care what the first show was,” she would be there for it.
Jackie Scaffidi plays Juror #4, a wealthy woman with strong opinions. Scaffidi has been in five shows with TheatreWorks, including “Mama Won’t Fly” and “The Odd Couple.”
She said that a challenge of this show was that the whole cast is on a small stage for the majority of the show. She had to drop out of her last production suddenly when she discovered she had breast cancer, but is back and ready to perform on the stage again.
Her character, she said, is “this rich, high society person. She thinks she knows everything, and I’m none of that. But I enjoy playing it … I just try to think of people that I think are rich and try to be like them and act like them.”
Juror #1, the foreman, is played by Lanetta Byrd, Juror #2 by Landon George, Juror #3 by Steve McPeak, Juror #6 by Chris Walker, Juror #7 by Ethan Goins, Juror #8 by Mike Hatfield, Juror #9 by Don Grayson, Juror #12 by Jo Grayson, Voice of Judge by Fran Gale and Guard by Tom Berry and Scott Guebert.
The show will run Thursday through Saturday at 7 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. and Sept. 15-17 at 7 p.m. and tickets cost $15.60 at www.twcp.net.
Monique Holland is a reporter for the Martinsville Bulletin. She can be reached at monique.holland@martinsvillebulletin.com or at 276-734-9603.
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Chris Walker (left from), Scott Harmon, Mike Hatfield, Steve McPeak and Tim Hall act as jurors in the performance.
Ethan Goins (from left), Valerie Bowling, Scott Harmon, Jackie Scaffidi and Steve McPeak discuss the case as jurors in the play.
The whole cast was on stage for almost the majority of the show, minus a few bathroom breaks for characters.
Jo Grayson (from left), Tim Hall and Don Grayson perform a scene in "12 Angry Jurors."
Don Grayson, as Juror #9, defends his point of view to Jo Grayson as Juror #12 and the rest of the jury. They Graysons are married and have performed in several TheatreWorks shows together over the years.
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