The Downriver Youth Performing Arts Center presents “12 Angry Jurors” Oct. 11 to 13, with Aryana Hubble (left), Violet Hilaski, Holden Clemmons, Joanna Bailey, Ava Arnold, August Butler and Chelsea Kings. For tickets and more information, go to dypac.com.
Whether you’re looking for a classic show or an update of another time-honored story, look no further than Downriver, where the Downriver Youth Performing Arts Center presents “12 Angry Jurors,” a gender-updated version of “12 Angry Men,” and the Southgate Community Players offers the timeless comedy “The Man Who Came to Dinner.”
DYPAC PRESENTS ‘12 ANGRY JURORS’
DYPAC presents “12 Angry Jurors” Oct. 11 to 13 at the Trenton Village Theater, 2447 W. Jefferson Ave. in Trenton.
Following the closing arguments in a murder trial, the 12 members of a jury must deliberate, knowing that a guilty verdict could result in the death penalty for the teen suspect. As one juror begins to cast doubt about the elements of the case, personal issues rise to the surface, and conflicts and tensions fill the jury room.
Directed by Dave Rzucidlo, the cast includes: August Butler, 16, of Brownstown Township as Juror 1; Jasmine Manzanarez, 13, of Southgate as Juror 2; Joanna Bailey 15, of Trenton as Juror 3; Reagan Lewis, 17, of South Rockwood, as Juror 4; Mia Skinner, 16, of Southgate as Juror 5; Violet Hilaski, 13, of Wyandotte as Juror 6; Matthew Banks, 13, of Woodhaven, as Juror 7; Chelsea Kings, 17, of Trenton as Juror 8; Aryanna Hubble, 17, of Carleton, as Juror 9; Kira Saiti, 17, of Riverview as Juror 10; Emma Jividen, 13, of Trenton, as Juror 11; Ava Arnold, 16, of Monroe as Juror 12; and Holden Clemmons, 14, as the judge and as the bailiff.
The actors faced many interesting challenges developing their characters.
Arnold said her challenge was portraying a character who lacks empathy for others, while Kings said she plays a character who remains calm in a situation that would have her yelling.
Banks, whose character has to mediate intense arguments among jurors, said he took a page from the sports referees he’s seen.
“In some of my brother’s soccer games, fights would break out and I would see how the coaches and referees tried to mediate the situation,” he said. “Some fights break out on the jury, so I tried to act in the same way.”
Butler, who steps into the shoes of the jury foreman, said it was challenging to understand her character’s motivation.
“The foreman is all about peace and control, so most of her lines tend to involve calling for order or votes,” she said. “It was difficult to figure out where her need to be in charge comes from.”
Bailey said it was challenging to represent a character who lacks any empathy for the accused, while Hilaski said it was hard for her to play a character who is a follower, since she is never shy about voicing her own opinions.
Lewis said developing her character’s body language and expressions without speaking, especially when she is in opposition to other jurors, has been challenging but fun.
Jividen’s challenge was quite the opposite: learning an accent.
“It took a few weeks and lots of practice, but I finally got it,” she said.
The cast also had a lot of fun during rehearsals.
Arnold said she enjoyed playing an arrogant, prim, proper and fashionable character, while Banks enjoyed basing his character on “the type of guy that peaks in high school.”
Kings said she enjoyed being a smart aleck while using emotion to change the opinions of the other jurors, while Butler, as the jury foreman, relished her role of building alliances, interacting with the annoying jurors and dealing with those her character dislikes.
Bailey learned what may someday be a valuable skill.
“The most fun part of the show has been learning how to play an angry woman,” she said.
Arnold said audiences will be able to relate to the show despite its twists and turns.
Banks said the story gets heated when one person begins to challenge each of the other jurors’ assumptions.
“It has tension, drama and plenty of twists that will keep you hooked the whole way through,” he said.
Butler said the show is “eye-opening and thought-provoking,” while Kings said it will leave audiences on the edge of their seats with each word and movement.
Bailey said the emotional baggage each juror brings with them into the deliberations tells a lot about their characters, while Hilaski said the fights between jurors really “pull the watcher into the story.”
“I don’t have many lines, so I spend a lot of the show simply watching, and there are definitely some scenes in this play that still shock me after seeing them multiple times,” Hilaski said.
Lewis said that in addition to the show being an intense, riveting story, it provides a unique look at the inner working of our justice system.
“Seeing a cast portray such incredibly flawed, opinionated and stubborn characters allows the audience to consider how prejudice plays such a large role in our willingness to examine the facts of a situation,” she said.
Arnold said she hopes audiences learn that it is important not to pre-judge others, while Butler said she hopes audiences realize how important it is to listen to opposing points of view.
“They should think more in depth about decisions they make and not just pick the easiest or socially acceptable answer,” she said.
Lewis said she hopes attendees realize how much of a difference one person can make by standing up for their beliefs.
“One’s viewpoint can be completely changed if they stop to consider the perspectives of others,” she said.
Showtimes are 7 p.m. Oct. 11 and 12 and 2 p.m. Oct. 13 at the theater.
Preferred seats are $14 for all ages, with regular seats $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. To order, go to dypac.com.
Southgate Community Players present “The Man Who Came to Dinner” Oct. 11 to 19 at the SCP Corner Playhouse, with Jennifer Langford (left) as Mrs. McCutcheon, Wendy Peets as Mrs. Stanley and Koula Black as Mrs. Dexter. For more information go to scponstage.com.
SCP PRESENTS ‘THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER’
The Southgate Community Players present Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman’s “The Man Who Came to Dinner” Oct. 11 to 19 at the SCP Corner Playhouse, 21671 Dix-Toledo Road in Southgate.
Set in a small town in Ohio in the late 1930s, radio celebrity Sheridan Whiteside is invited to dine with the family of a well-to-do local businessman, but he slips and falls on the ice and injures his hip before he can enter the house. Confined to the Stanley home for a month, Whiteside drives his host family crazy with behavior and meddles in their lives. He brings a bevy of eclectic guests into the house, and sets unforeseen events in motion with hilarious results.
Director Paul Bruce said the Southgate Community Players has turned a small storefront into an intimate and exceptional theater.
“As a director and set designer I couldn’t wait for an opportunity to work in this amazing space,” he said. “Its unique configurations have created an exceptional stage area with raked seating that affords an excellent view for every patron.”
Bruce said “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” which debuted 85 years ago, was created during the “bigger is better” era, and has three acts and two intermissions.
“The cast and crew have been working overtime on this one in order to get every laugh out of this incredibly fast-paced piece,” he said.
Bruce said the cast of 18 is large for a non-musical, and many of the actors play multiple roles.
“I watch them turn into completely different people during the course of the performance,” he said. “You won’t want to miss this production.”
Actress Wendy Peets, who plays Mrs. Stanley, said Bruce is using his directorial magic with the cast to bring the show to life.
“This play is hilarious,” she said. “I can’t make it through a rehearsal without laughing.”
Peets said her character is a determined hostess and star-struck fan of Whiteside who is trying to keep the peace.
“Audiences are going to laugh so much,” she said. “I hope they enjoy the show as much as we enjoy performing it.”
The cast includes: Joel Ball as Sandy, a convict, a caroler and a deputy; Atam Bedikian as Bert Jefferson; Koula Black as Mrs. Dexter and Lorraine Sheldon; Breann Blanton as Maggie Cutler; Cori Carr as Harriet Stanley and a caroler; Becky Dodd Sherry as Sarah and a caroler; Val Haas as Miss Preen; Evelynn Harvey as June Stanley and a caroler; Chuck Ingram as Mr. Ernest Stanley; John Lamb as Sheridan Whiteside; Jennifer Langford as Mrs. McCutcheon and a radio technician; Jacob Maher as Richard Stanley; Nick Mullins as Mr. Baker, a radio technician, Banjo and a deputy; Scott Peets as Prof. Metz, an expressman and Westcott; Wendy Peets as Mrs. Ernest Stanley; Paul Primeau as Beverly Carleton, a convict, a caroler and a plainclothes man; Mike Stec as Dr. Bradley and a convict; and Chris Warnke as John and a caroler.
Show times at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11, 12, 18 and 19, and 2:30 p.m. Oct. 13 at the playhouse. The Oct. 11 performance is sold out. Tickets are $18, with a $2 discount for students and seniors. To order, go to scponstage.com/tickets.