When I saw that Regalo Theatre Co was coming back into operations I couldn’t have been more thrilled. I absolutely loved so many of their productions including the professional quality White Christmas and an incredibly ambitious Amadeus. After a 2 year absence they are back with a new production and it’s continuing on their tradition of ambitious and entertaining shows: They are not only putting on the classic play 12 Angry Men but they are doing 12 Angry Women with different casts performing on alternating days. I saw both productions (12 Angry Women was in a preview night) and it proved to be a fascinating and powerful experience at the theater.
At first I wondered if the gender differences would be inconsequential but the scripts are different for both productions. It’s small differences but I do think they make subtle differences in the dynamics of the jury and the character arcs for different jurors. The biggest difference is with Juror Three. Jurors Three and Ten are the most boisterous and anger-filled of any of the jurors and acting in either role has to be a dream job for any actor. I won’t get too much into the script but just as an example of the differences between the portrayal of Juror Three in an iconic speech they give about ‘kids today’ this is what the male Juror Three says:
“‘I’m going to make a man out of you or I’m gonna bust you up into little pieces trying.’ When he was 15 he hit me in the face. He’s big, you know? I haven’t seen him in 3 years. Rotten kid! I hate tough kids! You work your heart out”
Where the female Juror Three says:
“After all I’d said about staying away from those toughs- he goes and joins them! I gave him a whipping he wouldn’t forget! And you know what? When he was fifteen he hit me-a woman- his own mother- in the face! He’s big, you know? I haven’t seen him in 3 years. Maybe I’m better off. A rotten kid! I hate tough kids! You work your heart out”
I’m still pondering the differences between these 2 statements. Both have a certain degree of disappointment and entitlement but the female version feels more personal and is possibly has more manipulative power to the other members of the jury who are all also women and presumably mothers. It also feels more sociopathic for a woman to claim maternal rights while admitting to whipping her child in the same sentence where Juror Three as a man, can be more easily brushed aside as a brute of a man.
Anyway, this is just one example that stood out to me but suffice it to say the differences between the two scripts are fascinating and if you can see both versions I highly recommend it. Both productions at Regalo are directed by Michael Carrasco and he has assembled 24 actors who are on a professional quality level. Because this is a one-room show it is an actor’s showcase and Carrasco smartly let’s these talented individuals tell this story and tell it well.
The set designed by Carrasco is simple with a table, a fan that doesn’t work and 2 windows with a cityscape visible outside. We also have a framed picture of President Dwight D Eisenhower letting us know this is happening in the 1950s. We can also see that in the costumes with the suits of the men and the dresses of the women (costumes by Colleen Carrasco, hair and makeup by Hannah Anderson.)
As I said, this play is an actor’s showcase and in particular Jurors Three and Ten get the most bombastic rage-filled dialogue and all 4 Regalo performers are excellent. For the women, I’d say Serene Parker as Juror Three gives the standout performance of the cast. There was something about her going from being the woman crocheting to threatening to kill another woman that was quite mesmerizing. Juror Three for the men is played by Kyle Baugh, and he is captivating as well. Matthieu Kohl and Elizabeth Ludwig chew the scenery as Juror Ten with Kohl able to be more physically dominating especially given he is seated next to the aged Juror Nine played by Robert Bahr and soft-spoken immigrant Juror Eleven played by Jakob Tice (he has a reveal I won’t spoil that is quite moving which is different in the female production.)
Of course, the main takeaway from 12 Angry Men focuses on Juror Eight. He or she has the guts to stand alone at the beginning of the deliberations. This can make this character feel a little preachy or a paragon of virtue, but I didn’t feel that way with either of the Juror Eights we had at Regalo. I particularly loved a moment where Sarah Neipp practically tears up saying “This is a man’s life.” BJ Oldroyd is also great as Juror Eight, and he felt a little bit less of an outsider amongst the other men than Juror Eight did with the women.
As I watched both casts I wondered how I would have voted. Some of the jurors particularly Juror Six and Juror Two seem to switch their votes with ease depending on who is making the argument. In contrast you have Juror Seven and Juror Twelve who seem annoyed by the entire process and having to be involved at all. The Foreman, Juror Four and Juror Eight seem the most academic and rigorous in their approaches to the case (I especially enjoyed Craig Gardner as Juror Seven particularly the way he moved around the stage.)
I truly believe seeing 12 Angry Men is a rite of passage every theatre fan needs to see, and you couldn’t have a better example of this classic play than these incredible actors are putting on at Regalo. Whichever version you see I hope you make time for it as you won’t regret it. It’s regional theatre at its best. The production is being put on at the Hive Collaborative and the casts alternate each night with the last performance being the Women on Oct 24th. Tickets can be purchased here.
12 Angry Men is a play written by Reginald Rose based on his screenplay for the 1957 film. It debuted in the West End in 1964 but not on Broadway until 2004 where it was nominated for 3 Tony Awards.
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