Two "Angry" Casts Tackle Courtroom Drama At Waterford High

A Press Release From Waterford High School

Waterford High School proudly presents the third WATERFORDrama production of the season, two thought-provoking courtroom dramas, Twelve Angry Men and Twelve Angry Women by Reginald Rose.

These shows will take place at the Waterford High School Auditorium from January 29th to February 1st at 7:30 p.m. Twelve Angry Women can be seen on Wednesday and Friday and Twelve Angry Men will be performed on Thursday and Saturday. 

The defense and the prosecution have rested and the jurors are filing into the jury room to decide if a young Latino is guilty or innocent of murdering his father. What begins as an open and shut case of murder soon becomes a mini-drama highlighting each of the jurors' prejudices and preconceptions about the trial, the accused, and each other. Based on the 1954 teleplay by Reginald Rose, and critically acclaimed in the 1957 movie starring Henry Fonda, Twelve Angry Men takes place entirely in the jury room and the audience will be seated close to the action, actually on the stage with the actors.

Known statewide for their highly professional productions, WATERFORDrama, the drama club at Waterford High School, is now in its tenth season under the direction of Shane Valle. Over the past decade the incredibly talented students of Waterford High School have made their audiences laugh at loud, shed many tears and, most importantly, opened dialogue on many though-provoking topics.

“I have wanted to stage Twelve Angry “something” for a long time.  I say “something” because you can do the show with all men, all women or a mixed cast,” explains Valle.  “I had intended to produce a mixed cast of Twelve Angry Jurors but that all changed after we held auditions. There were so many great auditions that I realized we could actually do two completely different versions of the show, a male cast and a female cast. It’s fun to watch both the similarities and differences between the ladies and the guys. The dynamics can be very different and I really hope that audiences will try and see a performance of each cast.” 

When asked why this particular show, Valle responds, “Twenty years ago we were all glued to the television watching the OJ Simpson trial and it seems like ever since then there has always been some high profile trial happening.  We talk about the accused, the victims and even the judges and lawyers, but we rarely ever talk about the jurors.  These people are obligated to sit there and decide the guilt or innocence and the fate of someone they do not know.  They are simply doing their duty. In this show they have to decide if they are putting a man to death. That’s not an easy thing for a high school student to grasp.”

Reserved seating tickets for Twelve Angry Men and/or Twelve Angry Women may be purchased in the front lobby of Waterford High School on Mondays through Fridays between 7:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. starting January 20th or they can be reserved by calling (860) 437-6956 x. 7407. Tickets are $12.00 for adults and $7.00 for students if purchased in advance or $15 for adults and $10 for students if purchased at the door.

There is also an Advanced Ticket Special Rate for people who want to see both casts - $18 for adults and $10 for students will get you a ticket to Twelve Angry Men and Twelve Angry Women. Please note that there are a limited number of tickets for all shows.

For more information please contact Waterford High School at (860) 437-6956.