Leave the kids at home on Saturday night and check out Emmy award winning show 12 Angry Men. For those who aren’t familiar, the American production is the penetrating examination of the deep-seated cultural differences, prejudices, indifference, anger, ignorance and fears, that threaten to taint the human spirit, and, in this case, potentially lead to a miscarriage of justice. Juror #8, voted one of the greatest heroes of literature, slowly convinces the other jurors that following their true moral compass and doing the right thing, while frequently difficult, is ultimately what embodies the best of humanity."The audience can expect a lot of drama and emotion. There is a real contrast of integrity between some of the characters,” says Ray Robles, who will play Juror #8.
Presented by Beijing Playhouse Drama Club, and on stage at Charity Readers Theatre, there will be almost no costumes, no props, sets, lighting design, sound design, and no subtitles. While Beijing Playhouse’s main stage shows take three months to rehearse and perform, Charity Readers Theatre rehearses in just one week. Actors with large parts will not be required to completely memorize their lines. That being said, we are assured that roles will be performed—not simply read. But the actors with larger parts will be allowed to carry scripts to refer to. “We have some seasoned veterans and some newcomers. It’s exciting to see it all come together in such a short time,” Robles says.
When: Saturday, August 1, 2015 from 7:30-9 pm (one performance only)
Where: 77 Theatre, near Nanluoguxiang.
Cost: RMB 80
Email: artsforagoodcause@charityreaderstheatre.org to reserve tickets. 100 percent of all ticket sales are donated to charity.
The beneficiary of the performance is Zhongze Women’s Legal Aid Center charity. Note that due to adult-themed content, it’s advisable to bring kids 13 and up only.
