‘Twelve Angry Men’ battle it out on stage at arts center

Star Beacon

April 02, 2008 05:44 pm

— ASHTABULA — At the local courthouse, 12 men have retired to a room to decide the guilt or innocence of a 19-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing his stepfather after a late-night argument.
A woman who lives across the way testified she saw the murder take place. An old man who lives downstairs claims to have seen the boy fleeing the scene of the crime.
The final production of the G. B. Community Theatre season will open April 11 when “Twelve Angry Men” take the stage in the courtroom thriller. Performances will be held April 11, 12, 13, 17, 18 and 19. Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows will begin at 8 p.m. The Sunday matinee on April 13 will begin at 3 p.m.
To everyone following the courtroom happenings, it looks like an
open-and-shut case. But then, a lone juror, No. 8, becomes the sole holdout in an 11-1 guilty vote. "Eight" isn't sure that he is convinced beyond a reasonable doubt. He wants to talk. And he becomes the riveting voice who forces the group to question both the evidence and themselves.
On the hottest day of the year, testimonies are re-examined and the murder is re-enacted. As the temperature rises, tempers flare, alliances are drawn and angry words fly as a man's life hangs in the balance.
Directed by Steve Rhodes, “Twelve Angry Men” is based on the of Emmy-award winning drama of Reginald Rose and was adapted to the stage by Sherman Sergel.
For reservations, call the arts center at 964-3396. Tickets are $12 patrons, $10 adults, $9 seniors and $8 students/children.

Playwriting
at arts center
Here’s your chance to become a playwright.
“Beginning Playwriting: The Art & Craft of the Playwright” at the Ashtabula Arts Center will be offered on Saturdays, April 12, 19 and 26, from 10 a.m. to noon.
“We decided to offer this workshop because we know that creative writers are everywhere,” said center spokeswoman Pamela Hammond. “But with busy jobs and family lives, many find that it's really tough to find
the inspiration or the time it takes to sit down with pen and paper in hand and come up, not only with a great idea, but also the words to express it.”
Instructor Mike Breeze is a local actor and playwright who was last seen on stage in the G. B. Community Theatre production of “A Midsummer Night's Dream.” Breeze's original play "Stuck" was presented on stage in G. B. Theatre's February production of “An Evening of One Acts.”
Giving tools and ideas for developing new written works, Breeze's workshop will introduce the basic techniques of playwriting including the organization of ideas, plot, setting, characters, the importance of conflict, and dialogue. It will provide aspiring writers with a heightened understanding of how plays are made and how they work, said Hammond.
In three sessions, students will discuss and work through the writing of the beginning, middle
and end of their own 10-minute, one-act play. Students will also gain a better understanding of the writing process in general that will help them to flesh out ideas for other projects they may have. Aspiring writers of all levels and genres are encouraged to participate, said Hammond.
“There is nothing better than a workshop to inspire creativity and help take a writer to a new level,” Hammond says. “Instruction and personal interaction with other writers can make the process of writing a finished work less daunting for the first-time writer and lends support and inspiration to writers of all levels.”
The fee is $30. Registration is required and can be made by calling the arts center at (440) 964-3396.

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