Theatre Arts Guild: Twelve Angry Men

If you like the way that television’s brilliant Mad Men offers a tiny window into the American psyche of the early 1960s, you’ll like Reginald Rose’s Twelve Angry Men with its social commentary on the US in the 1950s. The TAG production of his play captures the vintage feel beautifully in both the drab jury room set and the fashion from the rigid dress code. The play requires a huge cast of men who represent an array of stereotypes, including the rough and prejudiced blue collar worker, the courtly immigrant and the wise-cracking loud mouth, and it’s remarkable that TAG was able to find so many fine amateur actors to fill the bill. This is a play with plenty of fireworks and twists that will keep you engaged from start to finish, even if you’ve already seen one of the movie versions. –Kate Watson