12 Angry Jurors - Presented by Justice Theatre @ the UUFC

JUSTICE THEATRE PRESENTS: TWELVE ANGRY JURORS
By Reginald Rose
Adapted by Sherman L. Sergel
Directed by Sarika Rao
Produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illinois
To be performed Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28 at 7:30pm

In 1954, Reginald Rose served on a jury for a manslaughter case. The seriousness of that task, along with the physical space inspired him to write the script. It raises some pointed questions; why do we believe in what we are told? Can we truly trust the justice system when we allow our own biases, doubts, and fears to influence our judgment? What is the value of one human life compared to any other?

The play centers on a challenging case in which a young man stands accused of murder. Twelve strangers on the jury are tasked with the burden of determining his guilt when the death penalty is on the line. Eleven of them take the testimonies and evidence at face value; one, however, does not. This dissenting opinion sets off a fierce and hotly debated standoff before reaching its extraordinary conclusion.

Rose’s play remains highly relevant, especially in times of judicial uncertainty. It's a powerful character study of the jurors themselves and their representation of the American citizenry at large. We can identify with these twelve people in their struggle to find justice.

Tickets are general admission and free to reserve—when you reserve your ticket on this event page, you'll be given the option to make a sliding-scale donation in the amount of your choice. Suggested donation is $15, with the ability to adjust that amount based on what you can afford. You can also reserve a ticket now and make a donation by cash or check at the venue the night of. All donations go to support this year's Justice Theatre beneficiary, The Campaign for Equal Justice.

About the company
Justice Theatre @ the UUFC is a community theatre venture aimed at staging small-scale productions with pay-what-you-will performances supporting social justice causes. Past beneficiaries have included the ACLU, the Corvallis Cold Weather Men’s Shelter, CARDV, and the Mid-Willamette Trans Support Network. Our mission is to create theatre that fosters discussion about the world around us, to make theatre that is completely open and accessible to audience members of any income level, and to use performance to generate donations for good causes.

About this year’s beneficiary
All proceeds from this year’s production will be going to The Lawyers Campaign for Equal Justice. This organization has 131 working legal aid lawyers who provide legal support and services to low-income and senior Oregonians in all 36 counties in the state. In 2024, they handled 8,370 cases, including food, shelter, medical care, income maintenance, and physical safety amongst the most important legal needs. Almost 700,000 people statewide qualify for these services, with most revenue coming from federal, state, and private partnerships. Given the political landscape, additional funding remains critical. Please visit their website for more information at cej-oregon.org.