MAC Theatre Guild to Present "12 Angry Jurors"

Race, prejudice, persuasion and eloquence are just a few of the themes running through Mineral Area College Little Theatre Guild’s next dramatic play, "12 Angry Jurors."
 
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and performances are at 7 p.m. nightly, June 25-27, in the Fine Arts Theatre at the Park Hills Campus. Tickets are available at the MAC Bookstore or at the door on the night of the performances, and are $7 general admission, or $3 for MAC students and senior citizens.
 
The plot hinges on a homicide, a teen has committed murder and, as most criminal cases go, the jury must bring back a unanimous verdict of "guilty" or "not guilty." The play brings together the 12 jurors who are locked in a hot room, sequestered in their own judgment of the defendant. All but one are ready to vote "guilty," but something happens….The "not-guilty" juror begins to speak…With the result that not only are the jurors weighing the defendant’s innocence, but their own and each other’s, as well.
 
Theatre Professor Chuck Gallaher said "12 Angry Jurors" is widely considered a classic for good reason.
 
"After 50 years, people are still struck by how powerful and instructive the play still is. So many people can relate to it. Millions of Americans serve on juries each year and because of this, the show has become an archetype for jury service in America," he said. "The play deals with many aspects and ideals still relevant today: race, using one's past as a base of reference, ageism, processes of social influence and persuasion, and social or public opinion winning out over facts."
 
Little Theatre Guild’s cast list includes:

• Juror 1: Ian Miller, Desloge;
• Juror 2: Caitlyn Emert, Pilot Knob;
• Juror 3: Sandra Szendrey, Ironton;
• Juror 4: Rachel Gann, Park Hills;
• Juror 5: Logan Shropshire, Bonne Terre;
• Juror 6: Adam Steele, Potosi;
• Juror 7: Jordan Duncan, Farmington;
• Juror 8: Wyatt Nickelson, Potosi;
• Juror 9: Frank Miller, Desloge;
• Juror 10: Jonathan Turner, Fredericktown;
• Juror 11: Jenah Bickel, Ironton;
• Juror 12: Sam Gallaher, Farmington; and
• Guard: Josh MacDonald, Breese, IL.

Auditions for the guild’s next performance, "Blithe Spirit" (performances Oct. 8-10) will take place Aug. 17, 6 p.m., in the Fine Arts Theatre at MAC in Park Hills. Roles are available for 2 men and 5 women.