The Del Rey Players guilty as charged?

The Del Rey Players are celebrating their 77th season with the tantalizing tale of “Twelve Angry Men” starting this Thursday, Feb. 12-15 and 18-21 at 8 p.m. Based on the play by Reginald Rose, “Twelve Angry Men” invites the audience to become part of the jury and silently state your own verdict of guilty or not guilty. Upon the film release of “Twelve Angry Men” in 1957, A. H. Weiler of The New York Times wrote “It makes for taut, absorbing and compelling drama that reaches far beyond the close confines of its jury room setting.”

Director Megan Long describes the play as “timeless,” and suggests the story is solely about the characters and has nothing to do with a place or time in history; the plot could be taking place in 2020 or back in 1957. The cast is made up of 12 jurors and one security guard who have just assembled to a deliberation room after three days of listening to a trial. During the council every juror votes guilty except for number eight, played by sophomore Devin Kasper. Juror eight believes that the defendant is neither guilty or not guilty; rather, he cannot raise his hand and send a 16-year-old boy to the electric chair. The jury needs a 12 to zero vote in order for the use of the death penalty, so the 12 men angrily review the case and take another vote with juror eight agreeing to stand aside.

The 12 cast members sit in a semi-circle on stage in order of their jury number. Will you relate with juror three who believed from day one the defendant was guilty, Juror 12 who refuses to hear others’ opinions and wants to convince juror eight he is wrong, or juror eight who stands up against the majority? Don’t miss out on a room filled with tension, anger and laughter that will truly cause you to re-analyze how you handle your own decisions in group situations.

Long said, “there is one thing a Liberal Arts degree will teach you, it is never to be satisfied with the status quo.” Take a journey to The Del Rey Theatre located in North Hall (102) to find out whether or not you would be the odd one out, or if you would stay with the rest of the pack.