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Not that I'd ever want to disparage the personal hygiene of the hardworking cast members in Theatre Ventoux's "12 Angry Men," but thanks to director Lisa Taber's intimate staging and the play's evocative description of the cramped and heated quarters in this theater classic, I felt as if I was close enough to smell each and every one.
This is less a trip to the theater than an actual camping-out experience in the jury room.
Reginald Rose's 1950s-era play about a jury deliberating the fate of a 19-year-old man accused in the stabbing death of his father is definitely from a different era, as evidenced by the all-male jury. But there's no whiff of nostalgia here. You could walk into almost any jury room today and find many of the same dynamics at work. With the majority of the jury quick to condemn the accused in the case, one lone holdout (played with a resonant, understated bravado by David P. Otero) encourages an exploration of the evidence and the concept of "beyond a reasonable doubt."
The ensemble cast boasts some strong performances, including Greg Taber as an immigrant juror, Hal H. Bolen as the anemic foreman, Jaguar Bennett as a fastidious participant, and Jim Tuck as the "angry man." There are times when the character "types" get a little stilted, such as Patrick Allan Tromborg's gruff juror, and Tuck's final moments are overplayed. But there's a sincerity to the production, and an enveloping drama, that carries the audience through any rough spots. "12 Angry Men" is sobering and powerful.
