R-C production a world unto itself
by Hank Brockett
11/6/02
On stage, the crew coats the edges of the set in a nothing-to-see-here black. While Schranz takes a few cast members’ mug shots, she calls out to her assistants with the latest detail that can’t be forgotten. The message drowns in a cacophony of static and recorded voice, all part of the sound check.
Schranz knows this world well. It must be six days before showtime.
On pads of paper and clipboards, the details come together. The production of Twelve Angry Jurors barrels toward its opening night at the Reed-Custer High School auditorium.
Her experience tells her these things happen, but the problems are hard to ignore - bad mic, an erased recording, a sick cast member.
“We’ll get it fixed by next week,” chants Schranz, a confirmation to herself and all those around her.
This year’s high school productions will be the last for Schranz, who will retire at the end of the year. Her ninth year of directing brings with it a play with a message that hasn’t faded in time. As the students memorize lines and block out movement, the state deals with the same issues on stage.
In the play, 12 jurors decide whether a boy accused of murder will die. Meanwhile, with Gov. George Ryan demanding an examination of the death penalty, each death row case receives one more examination - small details and all.
“Crime and punishment are such major issues in the United States today, along with all of the related issues of gun control, fear of terrorist and sniper attacks and retribution against the perpetrators,” said Schranz. “This script, written for an audience of the late 1950s, does connect.”
No simple case
The stage is barren, just a table surrounded by three walls. This play won’t be about set design.
Reginald Rose’s play all takes place in one room, the deliberation room. In this room 12 actors slowly unravel, just like the case.
“It’s the most boring set I’ve ever created,” said Schranz, “but it’s boring on purpose.”
A plain set does not mean a simple set, though. With no scene changes, Schranz looked for a way to spice things up. She found her answer in television.
More specifically, in a television crew. In this version, cameras are allowed into the room, providing a close-up glimpse at the characters. A reporter provides the bookends for the case, acting as an intermediary between the stage and the audience.
“I needed an angle to give it more visual interest,” said Schranz, “ as well as a way to stage it so that the actors don’t look like they are sitting at the Last Supper.”
The addition requires more technical expertise, in which Schranz relies on senior Jamie Formea. As technical director, he often finds himself with his back toward the stage. As character motivations come clear, he busies himself with the sound and light systems. And as the stage lights come up, he props a flashlight between his chin and chest in the darkness.
A shift in character
The television cameras capture another of Schranz’s brainchilds. In the role of Juror No. 8 - a character made famous by Henry Fonda in the film 12 Angry Men (see sidebar)- is senior Brittany Emrich, very much a girl.
The gender switch provides a new dynamic to the script, Schranz said. Emrich agreed, saying she tries to toe the line between being persuasive and overly aggressive on stage.
“Most of my roles have been cute little things in comedies,” said Emrich. “I’ve had fun - this has helped me develop myself.”
Her determination runs smack dab into a mixed-gender group of stubborn characters. D.J. Carter portrays a narrow-minded juror who calls for the accused’s guilt throughout the deliberations.
“When I get mad, sometimes I get like my character gets,” said Carter, a veteran of R-C’s musicals but appearing in his first play.
That personal connection wasn’t so easy for Nicholas Nolan.
Nolan, who recommended the play after seeing his sister perform in it nearly 10 years ago, must act very cold and calculated. In the oppressive summer head, his character never sweats.
“This is definitely against my own personality,” said Nolan. “Mrs. Schranz rally tries to challenge us.”
A last fine-tuning
The challenge now for Schranz is cramming all of the important dates and times into heads filled with dialogue ... let alone schoolwork and social happenings.
With the countdown shifting into hours, everyone knows their role. A combination of nervousness and impatience leads to louder conversations and horseplay.
And while Carter wonders about the cast party, Emrich already knows what she’ll be celebrating come graduation.
“My experiences here could not be replaced by anything in the world,” she said outside the auditorium, waiting for her cue.
Maybe, when her world stands still, Schranz can share in that sentiment.