'12 Angry Men' opens at Center Playhouse

FREEHOLD — Center Players will present a production of "Twelve Angry Men" at Center Playhouse, 35 South St., Freehold Borough. The drama, which first aired as a television show and was later adapted to the stage as well as the screen, will run from Oct. 16 through Nov. 15 at Freehold's resident theater.

As the show opens, the audience learns that a 19-year-old man is on trial for the stabbing death of his father. A brutal crime to be certain, and all signs point to a slamdunk conviction and death sentence. Indeed, as the jurors poll themselves at the outset, they vote 11 to 1 to convict. But one juror wants a closer examination of the facts.

"It's not so easy for me to raise my hand and send a boy off to die without talking about it first," he says.

What ensues is a gripping analysis not just of jury decision-making, but of the human condition — how life experiences and biases influence decisions.

For Center Players President Bernice Garfield-Szita, the play captures an essential truth: "Our society is not a single, monolithic bloc. We are defined by the countless small-group cultures that we function within, day in and day out - our classrooms and corporations, our churches and neighborhoods, our sports teams and households. The jury room is no exception; it has a culture all its own."

The play's director, Anthony Greco, concurs, saying, "Juries have bullies and bigots, thinkers and sympathizers. Some try to force their views upon others and some use reason; others deploy fear while some use humor and even deception.

"And unlike society at large, where you can choose the company you keep, a jury doesn't have that luxury. It is a melting pot, whose diverse members are locked in a room until they find a way forward. They are compelled to at least talk to one another even if they do not unanimously agree in the end," Greco said.

Performances of "Twelve Angry Men" will be held at 8 p.m. Oct. 16, 17, 23, 30, 31, Nov. 6, 7, 13, and 14, and at 2 p.m. Oct. 18, 25, Nov. 1, 8 and 15.

Tickets are $24 for adults and $22 for seniors, students and groups of 10 or more. Performances include an intermission with complimentary beverages and dessert. Dinner packages are available for an additional $30 per ticket at Metropolitan Café, 8 E. Main St.; Solo Trattoria, 7 South St.; Bayou Café, 32 W. Main St.; or South Street Steak House, 24 South St. All are a short walk from Center Playhouse. Tickets can be purchased by calling 732-462-9093, option 1, or online at www.centerplayers.org.