The Beverly Theatre Guild - 'TWELVE ANGRY JURORS' AUDITIONS - Sunday & Monday, December 8 & 9, 2024

The play explores the deliberations of a jury in a homicide trial, in which a dozen jurors decide the fate of a teenager accused of murdering his abusive father. In the beginning, they are nearly unanimous in concluding the youth is guilty, influenced by their own background and upbringing. One juror dissents, declaring him "not guilty", and sows a seed of reasonable doubt. Eventually, they convince the other jurors to look beyond their own personal biases and support a unanimous "not guilty" verdict.

Auditions will consist of readings from the script. Character Descriptions are below and Audition Sides will be posted at: www.beverlytheatreguild.org. CASTING WILL BE GENDER-NEUTRAL.

Instructions/Pertinent Information
Please sign up for one (1) time slot and date only. WALK-INS ARE WELCOME, EVEN IF ALL SLOTS ARE FULL!

Auditions and callbacks are held at the Baer Theater at Morgan Park Academy, 2153 W. 111th Street, Chicago, IL 60643.

Arrival Time: We kindly ask that you arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled audition time to complete an audition form before your audition begins. ***Be prepared to list your scheduled conflicts on the audition form. Conflicts will not be accepted AFTER the show has been cast. We will not cast those with multiple conflicts, conflicts during Tech Week, or on performance dates.***

Parking and Entrance: Please park in the rear lot. Enter off 112th Street. Enter Morgan Park Academy using the stage door.

General Rehearsal Schedule (until tech week)
Sundays: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Tuesdays and Thursdays: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Additional Rehearsals may be added at the Artistic Staff’s discretion and cast availability. A Master Calendar will be provided once it is prepared.

Performance Dates/Times:
Friday, February 14, 2025
Saturday, February 15, 2025
Sunday, February 16, 2025

Callback Information
Callbacks: Callbacks will be held on Monday December 9th, beginning at 8:30 PM. If you are called back, you will receive a telephone call, email, or text (or a combination of any of these three notification methods), either late Sunday night or Monday. You will be assigned a time to return to the Baer Theater at Morgan Park Academy on Monday, beginning at 8:30 PM. If you are unavailable at this time, please notify the Producer immediately and they will reschedule you. Not receiving a callback does not necessarily mean you have not been cast in the show. Sometimes, it simply means the Director does not need to see you again to make a decision.

Code of Ethics Statement
The Beverly Theatre Guild welcomes auditionees of all races and types, age 18+, and adheres to the Chicago Theatre Standards “CTS” (code of ethics).

Contact Email for Auditions
If you have any questions about the audition process, please email the Producer at: btgauditions@gmail.com.

'Twelve Angry Jurors' is presented by special arrangement with The Dramatic Publishing Company, Woodstock, Illinois.

ROLES TO BE CAST (CASTING WILL BE GENDER-NEUTRAL):

Juror #8
He/she votes “not guilty” during the jury’s first vote. Described as "thoughtful" and "gentle," Juror #8 is usually portrayed as the most heroic member of the jury. He/she is devoted to justice and is right away sympathetic toward the 19-year-old defendant. He/she spends the rest of the play urging the others to practice patience and to contemplate the details of the case. He/she thinks that they owe it to the defendant to at least talk about the verdict for a while. A guilty verdict will result in the electric chair; therefore, Juror #8 wants to discuss the relevance of the witness testimony. He/she is convinced that there is reasonable doubt and eventually succeeds in persuading the other jurors to acquit the defendant.

Juror #9
Juror #9 is described in the stage notes as a “mild gentle old [person]...defeated by life and...waiting to die.” Despite this bleak description, he/she is the first to agree with Juror #8, deciding that there is not enough evidence to sentence the young man to death and becomes more and more sure of themself as the play proceeds. During Act One, Juror #9 is the first to openly recognize Juror #10’s racist attitude, stating that, “What this man/woman says is very dangerous.”

Juror #5
This young person is nervous about expressing his/her opinion, especially in front of the elder members of the group. In Act One, his/her allure makes others believe that he/she is the one who changed their mind during the secret vote. But, it wasn't him/her; he/she didn't dare go against the rest of the group yet. However, it is also his/her experience from the slums where he/she grew up, just like the defendant, that will later help other jurors form an opinion of “not guilty.”

Juror #11
As a refugee from Europe, Juror #11 has witnessed great injustices. That is why he/she is intent on administering justice as a jury member. He/she sometimes feels self-conscious about his/her foreign accent, but overcomes his/her shyness and is willing to take on a more active part in the decision-making process. He/she conveys a deep appreciation for democracy and America’s legal system.

Juror #2
He/she is the timidest person of the group. He/she is easily persuaded by the opinions of others and cannot explain the roots of his/her convictions. In the very beginning, he/she goes along with the general opinion, but soon Juror #8 wins his/her sympathy and he/she begins contributing more, despite his/her shyness. He/she is in the group of the first six jurors to vote "not guilty."

Juror #6
Described as an “honest but dull-witted [person],” Juror #6 is a house painter by trade. He/she is slow to see the good in others but eventually agrees with Juror #8. He/she defies the adversity and pursues the facts, in search of a more complete and objective picture. He/she is the one who calls for another ballot and is also one of the first six pro-acquittal ones.

Juror #7
A slick, superior, and sometimes obnoxious salesperson, Juror #7 admits during Act One that he/she would have done anything to miss jury duty and is trying to get out of it as fast as possible. He/she represents the many real-life individuals who loathe the idea of being on a jury. He/she is also quick to add his/her piece of mind to the conversation. He/she seems to want to condemn the defendant because of the youth's previous criminal record, stating that he/she would have beaten the boy as a child just like the defendant's father did.

Juror #12
He/she is an arrogant and impatient advertising executive. He/she is anxious for the trial to be over so that he/she also can get back to his/her career and his social life. However, after Juror #5 tells the group about his/her knowledge of knife-fights, Juror #12 is the first one to waver in his/her conviction, eventually changing his/her mind to "not guilty."

Foreman (Juror #1)
Non-confrontational, Juror #1 serves as the foreman of the jury. He/she is serious about his/her authoritative role and wants to be as fair as possible. Despite being described as "not overly bright," he/she helps calm down the tensions and moves the conversation onward with professional urgency. He/she sides with the "guilty" side until, just like Juror #12, he/she changes his/her mind after learning about the details of knife-fighting from Juror #5.

Juror #10
The most abhorrent member of the group, Juror #10 is openly bitter and prejudiced. He/she is quick to stand up and physically approach Juror #8. During Act Three, he/she unleashes his/her bigotry to the others in a speech that disturbs the rest of the jury. Most of the jurors, disgusted by #10’s racism, turn their backs on him/her.

Juror #4
A logical, well-spoken stock-broker, Juror #4 urges his/her fellow jurors to avoid emotional arguments and engage in rational discussion. He/she does not change his/her vote until a witness’s testimony is discredited (due to the witness’s poor vision).

Juror #3
In many ways, he/she is the antagonist to the constantly calm Juror #8. He/she is immediately vocal about the supposed simplicity of the case and the obvious guilt of the defendant. He/she is quick to lose his/her temper and is often infuriated when Juror #8 and other members disagree with his/her opinions. He/she believes that the defendant is absolutely guilty until the very end of the play. During Act Three, Juror #3’s emotional baggage is revealed. His/her poor relationship with his/her own son may have biased his/her views and it is only when he/she comes to terms with this that he/she can finally vote “not guilty.”