12 Angry Women
at Merion Mercy Academy

Reviewed on November 4, 2023

Colette Egan
Upper Merion Area High School
Submitted for publication to Philadelphia Inquirer - Wordpress Site #1

The only thing Merion Mercy Academy's Twelve Angry Women is guilty of is entertainment in the first degree!

Twelve Angry Women is Sherman L. Sergel's screen-to-stage adaptation of the 1954 teleplay Twelve Angry Men. In it, the fate of a 19-year-old boy suspected of murdering his father is held in the hands of twelve women jurors. But when one juror stands alone, not fully convinced of the boy's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, each remaining juror must consider their inner biases and whether the evidence is truly irrefutable.

The actors of Merion Mercy Music Theater overcame the challenge of a stagnant set and proved their prowess through maintaining their characters for the duration of the performance. Each actor listened and reacted to the speaking of their fellow jurors, which made for a believable fly-on-the-wall feel.

The arc of the plot relies on Juror Number Eight's dissent and persuasive abilities, both of which--and more--are portrayed practically flawlessly by Grace O'Neill. Through O'Neill's understanding of the nuances of Juror Number Eight, her execution of the role was incredibly convincing. O'Neill's intentional escalation and deescalation of Eight was used effectively to depict her internal battle in fighting the juror majority. Juror Number Eight's foil was Juror Number Three (Jenny McMonagle), who allowed anger and partiality to advise her opinion on the potential verdict. McMonagle's take on Three was fiery, which proved to strengthen the contrast between Three and Eight. Together, the duo drove the storyline and made for compelling opponents.

In a show where twelve actors are on stage for the entire duration of the show, the supporting actors in Twelve Angry Women were just as important as the leads. The skill of the performers could not be fully illustrated without mentioning Juror Number Ten (Maria Shapson). Shapson's consistent New York accent and attitude made for an intriguing character. Even when she was not speaking, her personality was maintained with exaggerated facial expressions and excellent physicality. Additionally, Head Juror (Maria Stowell) and Juror Number Four (Colette Remy) served as the voices of reason throughout the show, navigating conversations and steering the jurors in the direction towards unanimity. The Head Juror's collected nature showed well through Stowell's portrayal, and Remy made Four's interest in all sides of the story feel genuine. The unique choices made by the actors of the jurors made for one consuming show.

Lighting was a standout tech element of this play; Jacklyn Dang's lighting design always did its job. Though not many lighting changes were necessary in this show, the few that occurred were impactful and enhanced the performance.

Twelve Angry Women at Merion Mercy Academy is a show to die for, so don't miss it!

Violet Wiley
Ridley High School
Submitted for publication to Philadelphia Inquirer - Wordpress Site #2

Though the jury decided 'Not Guilty', it's clear that Merion Mercy's production of Twelve Angry Women is guilty of being a success!

Based on the 1957 classic film, 12 Angry Men, this genderbent, modern version depicts the trials and tribulations of American law. A boy is on trial for killing his father, and one woman takes it upon herself to show the others the reasonable doubt in the case against him, though she is met with much opposition. While the script is similar regardless of cast gender, an all female-cast offers a lens of this play that other productions may be missing, especially regarding the jurors' expressions of anger and biases toward the defendant.

Grace O'Neill (Juror Number Eight) expertly convinces her fellow jurors, as well as the audience, of the boy's innocence with outstanding wit and emotional intelligence. She excellently portrays Eight's eccentric view of the world and breathes life into a character that could easily become bland if an actor is not careful. Her performance is wonderfully opposed by Jenny McMonagle (Juror Number Three) whose moments of blind rage and cries of frustration worked well to present a woman whose own experiences and trauma nearly unfairly lead to someone's execution.

Other standouts in this cohesive cast include Katie Lisaint (Juror Number Seven) who broke up the thick tension with lighthearted comedic moments without disrupting the overall themes of the show and Maria Shapson (Juror Number Ten) who brought the house down with her monologue that was perfectly uncomfortable to watch as the audience was forced to face the disturbing fact that they all know someone as bigoted as her extremely realistic character in real life. The entire ensemble of Jurors worked as a cohesive unit to follow the ebb and flow of the play's pace.

Though this show didn't call for extreme lighting or sound cues, Jacklyn Dang and Christine Link each did a fine job with their lighting and sound design respectively. The courtroom became even more believable with the inclusion of props that clued in audiences to the play's modern setting, such as the Dunkin Donuts box and water cooler, thanks to Props Designer Katrina Dominski.

Merion Mercy's Twelve Angry Jurors managed to turn an old black and white film into a thrilling, dynamic drama that could put anyone, regardless of age, gender, or race on the edge of their seat!

Olivia Lee
Harriton High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies Website #3

Welcome! How can Merion Mercy Academy help you? Hm? You hear screaming? Oh, don't worry, it's just MMMT's passionate production of "Twelve Angry Women,"--boy, do they know how to get angry!

In "Twelve Angry Women" (also known as "Twelve Angry Men" or "Twelve Angry Jurors"), written by Reginald Rose in 1954, twelve strangers convene in a stiflingly hot room, tasked with reaching a unanimous vote on whether a young man accused of killing his father is guilty or innocent. Locked into the room together, each woman is faced with her inner pride and prejudice as her power over a boy's life or death becomes more and more apparent.

Spending an hour and fifteen minutes on stage arguing non-stop requires a certain kind of resilience, but the perfervid cast made it look easy. Grace O'Neill embodied Juror #8 with dignified composure, calm and clear in the face of antagonization. Her level-headedness emphasized her occasional outbursts of righteous anger, bringing even greater impact to the debate. Jenny McMonagle, meanwhile, portrayed the volatile frustration of Juror #3, stalking across the stage like an agitated wolf anxious that her prey would escape. This heightened not only her clash with O'Neill's Juror #8, but her eventual change of heart as she let her pride go.

Among the rest of the cast, Maria Shapson stood out as saucy Juror #10, bringing a whole lot of personality with her. The raw emotion Shapson dedicated to her rant scene was especially believable. Cutting up the seriousness with a little bit of comedy, Katie Lisaint's performance as Juror #7 had shoulders shaking with laughter when she dramatically reenacted the murder of the father. The truly talented cast possessed impressive energy and realism not always present in high school theater.

While quarreling on stage for more than an hour takes quite a lot of strength, manning twelve mics with an old sound system while everyone is screaming is a feat in its own. Sound designer Christine Link stepped up to the task, and her hard work paid off. The show ran while keeping audio hiccups at a minimum. The set was complete with cushy chairs and a water dispenser (and a working window! It opens and closes!) and the lights, designed by Jacklyn Dang, clarified who was speaking during side-conversations in the single room and occasionally enhanced the mood.

While some folks may yawn at the premise of "Twelve Angry Women," Merion Mercy Academy will, without a (reasonable) doubt, have the audience at the edge of their seats with their emotionally charged and delightfully grounded performance.

Maggie Shelton
Archmere Academy
Submitted for publication to Cappies Website #4

You will not be angry after seeing Merion Mercy's rendition of "Twelve Angry Women". This production is overflowing with emotional and heartfelt performances by a group of thirteen outstanding women.

"Twelve Angry Women," adapted from the original play "Twelve Angry Men," features the story of a jury deliberating to decide the verdict of a son allegedly accused of murdering his father. Viewers begin and end in the jury deliberation room and find themselves completely enamored with the conversations that ensue.

The leading players of the deliberation come from the opposed Juror #3 (Jenny McMonagle) and Juror #8 (Grace O'Neil). Both actresses portrayed their side with unwavering loyalty and drove the story line to its anxiety-inducing climax. McMonagle, a stubborn advocate for the guilty verdict, and O'Neil, the brave juror who first declared a not guilty argument, displayed immense chemistry and emotional turmoil on stage. The actresses execution of the dialogue took advantage of the differing views to create thought provoking performances that drew the audience into the conversation.

The performance of these actress were further supported by a highly talented cast, with notable performances from Juror #4 (Colette Remy), Juror #7 (Katie Lisaint), and Juror #10 (Maria Shapson). All these actresses began the show supporting the guilty verdict, but within the 75 minute deliberation, came to the conclusion that the son is not guilty by reasonable doubt. Colette Remy added a logical and calm presence to the fragile emotional arguments that took place. Katie Lisaint provided intermittent comical breaks and represented her exhaustion with the case entertainingly. Maria Shapson supported Jenny McMonagle's performance with another emotionally charged argument in favor of a guilty verdict with her moving outburst against other jurors. Together all twelve women, each with distinct personalities, created a unique and believable jury deliberation case and found their end decision in a beautifully, emotionally driven way.

It would be wrong to only highlight the performances of the actresses when behind the stage, the crew also assisted the touching performance. Lighting designer, Jacklyn Dang, with lighting crew, Emily Beggs, made the most of their minimal lighting with alluring colors and perfectly timed fading that highlighted the emotions being set out on stage. Sound designer, Christine Link, made the most of the "ancient sound system", as quoted by director Chris Monaco, with seemingly smooth transitions between actors and ensuring each line was heard clearly.

Overall, Merion Mercy's production of "Twelve Angry Women" showcased the power of acting and realistic emotional debates. The standing ovation was well deserved with the marvelous performance in tandem with seamless technical operations.