Sun 10/22 @ 7-9PM
The 1954 television play 12 Angry Men, which was made into an acclaimed 1957 directed by Stanley Lumet, focuses on a New York jury weighing the fate of a teenager charged with killing his abusive father. Its conflicts arise from the differing personalities and viewpoints of the men, identified only by number, as they debate, with their opinions evolving as the evidence is discussed. It takes place almost entirely within the courtroom.
Because of its large cast, with plenty of roles to fill, and the simplicity of its staging, the play is often seen at community theaters. And, since times have changed, it’s often performed as 12 Angry Jurors.
That’s what the Legal Aid Society will be doing when they present a staged reading of the play as a benefit for their work: representing people without financial means in civil cases, such as tenant/landlord disputes. Jon Leiken, president of the board of directors of The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, leads a castoff mostly lawyers including some prominent ones: Ohio Supreme Court Justice Michael Donnelly; civil rights attorney Avery Friedman; corporate attorney and civil leader Robyn Minter Smyers and lawyer turned politician turned actor Peter Lawson Jones. It even includes non-lawyer/longtime TV news personality Leon Bibb.
The reading will take place at the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association Auditorium. It’s free; although donations are encouraged, of course. Go here to make a reservation