Last night's performance was a re-make of the classic 1957 movie starring Henry Fonda (Twelve Angry Men). In the movie, Henry looks and acts like my friend Dave. The performance was engaging: The acting was engaging, especially "the old man" and the juror originally from the other country. Richard Thomas was fine, George Wendt maybe a little better. The play was very, very close to the movie version. The set was simple and realistic. The slow transitions from sunset to dark were superb, complete with a thunderstorm and lots of rain outside the windows.
What is this play really about? An obvious theme is that we have prejudices, and when confronted with a conflict or debate, we tend to polarize around these. Another theme is that when people interract on controversial issues, the issues become more important than the people. The script supports that idea by subtley venturing through the entire story without people knowing each other's names (except in the movie in the final scene). However, to me this story is about mental laziness. By this I mean that people want cognitive closure pretty much right away. Even at the expense of being wrong. Are you making decisions too rapidly? Someone's life is not usually at stake, but the point is that we artificially rush to terminate ambiguity all too often. My advice is: Don't rush. It doesn't have to take a Juror #8 in your life to slow down and make the right decision, but it helps to see his example.
Overall, this story is worth the watch: Entertaining and thought-provoking. Pictured is Hennepin Avenue (great center bike lane between the cars, by the way!) with Shree on a -12 degrees Celsius evening.
1 comment:
It felt like -40 degrees celsius though! :)
A few other comments/ observations that highlight the play/ movie:
1. It displays the extraordinary power of persuasion some people possess. The moral of the story: if you believe in something and have enough reason to back it up, then go for it. Stand against all odds. Show others your point of view and reason it out with them. Truth prevails.
2. Its amazing how the script and screenplay binds the audience to their chairs. Mind you, the entire act is carried out in one hot, humid room!
3. Leadership skills: My professor at the b-school I attended is a big fan of this movie and she had shown it to us in our "Leadership" class. She presented it as a case study in team-building and leadership. Its amazing how corporations are successfully using the learnings from this movie in their business settings.
4. On another note, if you do see this play or movie, I would like to know your thoughts on what if all the characters were women? Or what if the protagonist was a woman?
With that, I would like to thank Kirk for inviting me to watch this play. It was my first time at the State Theatre and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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