Masqueraders mark return to drama fest with “12 Angry Men”

Play runs Thursday through Sunday, and will also run in state drama festival next spring

By Ted Hayes
Posted 11/14/18

The Mt. Hope Masqueraders’ upcoming production of “12 Angry Men,” a three-act jury drama set for four performances this weekend at the Mt. Hope Performing Arts Center, marks both a …

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Masqueraders mark return to drama fest with “12 Angry Men”

Play runs Thursday through Sunday, and will also run in state drama festival next spring

Posted

The Mt. Hope Masqueraders’ upcoming production of “12 Angry Men,” a three-act jury drama set for four performances this weekend at the Mt. Hope Performing Arts Center, marks both a departure and a return for the student-led acting troupe.
With just a single set and 14 actors, most of whom are onstage the during the entire production, the play is in one sense simpler than many, said Mt. Hope Theater Director Nick Mendillo, who chose “12 Angry Men” in this, his his first year at the school. In other respects, it’s a difficult production to master due to intense, lengthy dialog and weighty subject matter.
“It’s a phenomenal play,” Mr. Mendillo said.
“There’s a larger cast than normal, and it takes a lot of effort to keep your focus. There’s also a lot of lines to memorize for the kids. But it’s an incredible play and one I’ve always wanted to do.”
“12 Angry Men” follows the deliberations of 12 jurors deciding the fate of a young man accused of murder. Juror eight, played by Philip Pontes, tries to convince his peers that there is reasonable doubt in the case presented by prosecutors. Juror three, played by Abi Phenix, is convinced the accused is guilty. And juror four, played by Mike Viveiros, is the voice of reason and calm, reciting his arguments “with zero emotion and pure objectivity,” Mr. Mendillo said.
The accused, played by Noah Mallon, is present in the room but does not speak. He was added to the play by Mr. Mendillo “as a symbolic reminder of what (jurors) are arguing about.”
“It’s about a 19-year-old boy’s life.”
Mr. Mendillo is a big fan of the Rhode Island Drama Festival, which his school won three times while he was a student at Cranston West High School. Now a member of the board that runs the festival, he plans to bring Mt. Hope back into the competition early next year, choosing “12 Angry Men” for the Masqueraders’ first entry since their last appearance four years ago. The play clocks in at about an hour and 20 minutes, but with a strict 60-minute festival time limit will have to be edited down. Mr. Mendillo said that is doable and he is looking forward to bringing Mt. Hope back to the statewide competition when the festival is held some time in March.
“It’s an amazing opportunity to see theater from all around the state,” he said. “You get to see what other schools are doing and it really immerses the children and builds a community of theater within the state. This was the perfect opportunity for me to bring Mt. Hope back.”
“I’m really excited” for this play.

Meet the cast
Foreman: Jackson Reis
Juror 2: Jackson DiPietro
Juror 3: Abi Phenix
Juror 4: Michael Viveiros
Juror 5: Megan Molloy
Juror 6: Lucas Shears
Juror 7: Jenna Goulart
Juror 8: Philip Pontes
Juror 9: Ryder Ferris
Juror 10: Bella Mancieri
Juror 11: Giulia Facchini
Juror 12: Trinity Perry
Guard: Hanlar Hasan

See “12 Angry Men” this weekend
What: Mt. Hope Masqueraders’ production of “12 Angry Men”
When: Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 16, 16 and 17, at 7 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 18, at 2 p.m.
Where: Mt. Hope Performing Arts Center Chestnut Street, Bristol
Tickets: General admission is $10, with students and senior tickets at $5.
About the play: “12 Angry Men” is adapted by Sherman L. Sergel with permission from Dramatic Publishing

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