Theater Review: '12 Angry Men' by Newtown High School Drama

Review by Nancy Sasso Janis

Newtown High School Drama is presenting a student-directed production of “12 Angry Men” this weekend on the stage of the high school auditorium. The show’s Faculty Advisor Ms. Janice GabrielI invited me to attend the final dress rehearsal and I was impressed with the hard work that the high school students had put into bringing this play of the literary classic to their stage.

Student directors Mary Guion, a Newtown High School junior and Julia Forlenzo, a senior, write in the printed program that they are excited to bring this show to their audiences. The two directors astutely note, “Though it is set in the 1950s, this show still presents topics and issues that have remained so relevant in our world today. It truly shows how one voice has the power to change minds as well as lives.”

The jury deliberations take place during a very hot day and tempers get short during the tense deliberations of a murder trial. A young man is accused of stabbing his own father and the play opens after the judge is heard giving his final instructions to the jury.

The students use the stage version of the script by Sherman L. Sergel based on the Emmy award-winning television movie by Reginald Rose. Of note is that in the cast more than half of the jurors are portrayed by female students. However, the jurors are all referred to as gentlemen and are costumed as such, and pronouns are not changed. It works seamlessly without any explanation.

Although this is essentially an ensemble cast made up mostly of underclasspersons, there are a few jurors who have more of an impact on the deliberations. As the final holdout, the talented actor Gabby Corona portrays Juror #3. Her character has a lot to say and Corona gives a strong performance. Another standout performance is that of Josiah Riley in the important role of Juror #8, the first to bring up reasonable doubt in the jury room. Riley therefore has a crushing amount of lines to master and does well throughout.

Gabby DeNicola serenely portrays the older Jury #9 and Sadie Beimel suffers with a summer cold as Juror #10. Sam Giuggio uses a good European accent to portray Juror #11 and the tall Warner Bacon portrays #12. Senior Jackson McDevitt comes in and out as the Guard and Mr. Dave Roach is the voice of the Judge.

Adlien Ekman often attempts to restore order to the jury room as the group’s foreman. Talmage Bacon portrays Juror #2 and Theo Anderson takes on the role of Juror #4. Ella Renak shows off Juror #5’s knowledges of switch knives and Maddie Britton does well as Juror #6.

Ava Baroody, who I watched grow up with NewArts and is somehow now a senior at Newtown High School, is strong in the role of Juror #7. Her character takes on the role of the murder victim in one reenactment of the crime.

The set constructed by a group of students led by Cormac Elliot features a watercooler area stage left for smaller conversations. The painting committee was led by Carrissa Soriano. Props from the time period were designed by Audrey Srebotnik and Logan Dryer and Maggie Mattera and Maya Chaudhary were in charge of costumes. Lighting (with Kathrine Allen as head) often provided good storytelling elements and sound led by Meghan Bailey worked well overall.

The students will present a private performance for the 10th grade students at the high school during school hours. The 10th grade students read the book so this will be a great cross curricular connection.

Kudos to the students who worked with determination to present this hard-hitting work. The play is presented with one 15-minute intermission and there is some simulated smoking. Performances are November 16, 17 and 18 at 7:00 p.m. and a Sunday matinee on November 19 at 2:00 p.m.

Newtown High School Drama will be presenting “Urinetown The Musical” March 14-17 of next year in their auditorium and Unified Theatre will present “It’s All About the Coconuts” January 5 and 6.

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theater reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues, and she posts well over 100 reviews each year. She became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle in 2016. Her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted in the Naugatuck Patch as well as the Patch sites closest to the venue. She is also a feature writer and theater reviewer for the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper. Her weekly column IN THE WINGS and theater reviews appear in the Thursday Weekend section of the paper.

Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theatre Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the CCC Facebook page.