Indiana Repertory Theatre opens season with gripping look at justice, power
Classic American drama explores the complications of perspective and prejudice
 
Indianapolis, Ind.—The Indiana Repertory Theatre opens its 2019-2020 season with the classic American drama from the 1950s, Twelve Angry Men, on the OneAmerica Mainstage September 4 - 29. Written by Reginald Rose, who was inspired by his own jury experience, this suspenseful story takes a provocative look at power, prejudice and clashing perspectives.

Twelve Angry Men moves the audience out of a typical courtroom scene and into the closed jury room without judges, lawyers or the public. In this case, a dozen strangers with different viewpoints gather together to debate the guilt or innocence of a young teenage boy accused of murder. Controversy is inevitable as the jurors navigate racial biases, conflicting priorities and the psychological weight of a person’s life hanging in the balance.

“I’m interested in the ways that twelve citizens who were previously unknown to one another are expected to work through their biases, bigotry, and heated disagreements and come to a unanimous decision based on the facts available to them,” Director and IRT’s Playwright-in-Residence James Still said. “It’s democracy at its most idealistic and personal. It’s also a profound reminder about ways that the American experiment is flawed, rigorous, and steeped in responsibility.”

Today, more than 50 years after its early versions, Twelve Angry Men continues to deliver a commanding and compelling theatrical experience for both adults and students as it examines justice and society in a way that is both simple and complex. 

“With its strong dramatic tension and heated debates on the efficacy of the American justice system, Twelve Angry Men will pack a content and style punch,” IRT’s Executive Artistic Director Janet Allen said. “We’re excited to open our season with this quintessentially American high-stakes debate play that feels ripped out of today’s headlines.”

Twelve Angry Men is a co-production with Syracuse Stage in New York and will originate at the IRT before traveling to Syracuse in October. The cast includes many local actors returning to the IRT, as well as actors from Chicago and New York.

Take your seat at this high-stakes debate! Tickets for Twelve Angry Men, as well as season packages, are available now.
​
DETAILS

WHERE: Indiana Repertory Theatre, 140 W Washington Street, OneAmerica Mainstage

RUN DATES:  September 4 - 29, various times. Twelve Angry Men is approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes, with no intermission. Tickets and performance schedule available at IRTlive.com. 

TICKETS: Tickets start at $25. Click to buy.

CAST & CREATIVE TEAM:

MICHAEL STEWART ALLEN | Juror Seven
CHRIS AMOS | Juror Eight
SETH ANDREW BRIDGES | Juror One
PATRICK CLEAR | Juror Eleven
ADAM O. CROWE | Guard
CHARLES GOAD | Juror Twelve
MARK GOETZINGER | Juror Nine
SCOT GREENWELL | Juror Two
CASEY HOEKSTRA | Juror Six
ROBERT IERARDI | Juror Ten
CRAIG SPIDLE | Juror Three
DEMETRIOS TROY | Juror Five
HENRY WORONICZ | Juror Four

JAMES STILL | Director
JUNGHYUN GEORGIA LEE | Scenic & Costume Design
MICHELLE HABECK | Lighting Design
TODD MACK REISCHMAN | Sound Design

SPECIAL EVENTS:

OPENING NIGHT
Friday, September 6, 2019 | Performance at 7:30 PM
Raise a glass and cheers to the cast and crew at IRT’s Opening Night! After the show, delight in a champagne toast, hors d’oeuvres, and a one-time-only chance to explore the set with IRT Artisans.

POST-SHOW DISCUSSION
Saturday, September 7, 2019 | Following the 5 PM performance
Join IRT staff and cast immediately after the performance for a post-show discussion that covers a variety of interesting topics related to the show. Post-show discussions typically last for 20 minutes.

COOKIES & COFFEE
Thursday, September 12, 2019 | Performance at 2 PM
Before the 2 PM performance, sweeten your afternoon at the IRT with complimentary cookies, coffee and tea served in the lobby.

BACKSTAGE TOUR
Saturday, September 14, 2019 | Following the 5 PM performance
Immediately following this performance, join IRT staff for an explorative and informative backstage tour. Tours typically last 30 minutes.

IRTEA TALK
Sunday, September 15, 2019 | Performance at 2 PM
Stay after the performance to take part in a post-show discussion led by actors, staff and special guests. Learn behind-the-scenes details and additional information about the show and its themes while enjoying tea and cookies courtesy of the IRT.

ASL/AD PERFORMANCE
Sunday, September 15, 2019 | Performance at 2 PM
The IRT offers ASL/AD services to our patrons with vision and hearing needs. Patrons with hearing needs are encouraged to sit in the interpretation zone and meet with the interpreter before the show. We also offer Assisted Listening Devices free of charge at each performance. To learn more visit irtlive.com/accessibility.

POST-SHOW DISCUSSION
Sunday, September 22, 2019 | Following the 2 PM performance
Join IRT staff and cast immediately after the performance for a post-show discussion that covers a variety of interesting topics related to the show. Post-show discussions typically last for 20 minutes.

HAPPY HOUR
Tuesday, September 24, 2019 | Happy Hour starts at 5:30 PM | Performance at 6:30 PM
Start your evening at the Theatre with IRT’s Happy Hour! Beginning at 5:30 PM, sample appetizers and drinks from local distilleries, breweries and more before the performance. Sip, savor, and save with half-price drinks at the bar available throughout the evening. 

​For more information contact Kerry Barmann, Marketing Communications Manager at kbarmann@irtlive.com or 317.916.4824

###
​
ABOUT THE IRT
Founded in 1971, the Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT) is the largest professional not-for-profit theatre in the state and one of the leading regional theatres in the country. The mission of the Indiana Repertory Theatre is to produce top-quality, professional theatre and related activities, providing experiences that will engage, surprise, challenge, and entertain people throughout their lifetimes, helping us build a vital and vibrant community.

AUGUST 2019

​Indiana Repertory Theatre launches INclusion Series with Native American memoir
Contemporary Cherokee activist explores identity and history along The Trail of Tears

Indianapolis, Ind.—The Indiana Repertory Theatre’s INclusion Series, new this year and focused on celebrating diverse storytelling, will begin with And So We Walked: An Artist’s Journey Along the Trail of Tears, a one-woman play created and performed by Cherokee artist and activist DeLanna Studi. On the IRT Upperstage October 15 - November 10, the production highlights the universal desire to honor one’s roots and the places that we call home, while sharing the modern impact of an often forgotten part of our shared American history.

“The INclusion Series has come about to broaden our perspectives on what it means to be an American,” Executive Artistic Director Janet Allen said. “We selected And So We Walked: An Artist’s Journey Along the Trail of Tears to give audiences personal insight into a chapter of American history that continues to resonate deeply today in the marginalizing of Native peoples.”

And So We Walked weaves present-day and ancestral characters seamlessly through time and place as it reflects on Studi’s experience traveling the 900-mile trail and the conflicts that the Cherokee Nation still wrestle with today. Cherokee on her father’s side and German-Irish on her mother’s, Studi hoped to not only explore the history of the Cherokee Nation, but also gain a deeper understanding of her father, his sense of pride in his language, and their shared ancestry and traditions. As she and her father retraced the steps their ancestors were forced to take in the 1830s, Studi conducted interviews and research, hosted workshops and storytelling circles through community partnerships, and participated in traditional ceremonies to help tell this complicated story.

“This is a story of trauma, loss, resilience and, most importantly, hope,” Studi said. “This isn’t just my story about my journey. It is a Cherokee story, one that transcends my own personal identity and experiences, and one that belongs to the Cherokee people, past and present.”

Based on Studi’s six-week journey, the script was developed in close collaboration with individuals and institutions within Eastern Band of Cherokee and Cherokee Nation, as well as with the support of Native Voices Theatre and the American Indian Center and Process Series at UNC–Chapel Hill. Major support was provided through the Arts and Society Initiative of the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts.

Tickets for the Midwest premiere of And So We Walked: An Artist’s Journey Along the Trail of Tears are available now, as are tickets for the other two productions in the INclusion series, The Watsons Go To Birmingham—1963 and The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin.

DETAILS

WHERE: Indiana Repertory Theatre, 140 W Washington Street, OneAmerica Mainstage

RUN DATES:  October 15 - November 10, various times. And So We Walked: An Artist’s Journey Along the Trail of Tears is approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission. Tickets and performance schedule available at IRTlive.com. 

TICKETS: Tickets start at $25. Click to buy.

CAST & CREATIVE TEAM:
DELANNA STUDI | Creator & Performer
COREY MADDEN | Director
JOHN COYNE | Scenic Design
ANDJA BUDINCHICH | Costume Design
NORMAN COATES | Lighting & Projection Design
BRUNO LOUCHOUARN | Sound Design
AIMEE LYNN PHILLIPS | Associate Sound Design

And So We Walked is produced in association with the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts and Octopus Theatricals, and has been developed with support from the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts. And So We Walked is co-represented by Octopus Theatricals and Walrus Arts Management and Consulting.

Lead Support for our INclusion Series by the Margot L. Eccles Arts & Culture Fund, a fund of CICF.

SPECIAL EVENTS:

OPENING NIGHT
Friday, October 18, 2019 | Performance at 7:30 PM
Raise a glass and cheers to the cast and crew at IRT’s Opening Night! After the show, delight in a champagne toast, hors d’oeuvres, and a one-time-only chance to explore the set with IRT Artisans.

COOKIES & COFFEE
Thursday, October 24, 2019 | Performance at 2 PM
Before the 2 PM performance, sweeten your afternoon at the IRT with complimentary cookies, coffee and tea served in the lobby.

IRTEA TALK
Sunday, October 27, 2019 | Performance at 2 PM
Stay after the performance to take part in a post-show discussion led by actors, staff and special guests. Learn behind-the-scenes details and additional information about the show and its themes while enjoying tea and cookies courtesy of the IRT.

ASL/AD PERFORMANCE
Sunday, October 27, 2019 | Performance at 2 PM
The IRT offers ASL/AD services to our patrons with vision and hearing needs. Patrons with hearing needs are encouraged to sit in the interpretation zone and meet with the interpreter before the show. We also offer Assisted Listening Devices free of charge at each performance. To learn more visit irtlive.com/accessibility

HAPPY HOUR
Tuesday, October 29, 2019 | Happy Hour starts at 5:30 PM | Performance at 6:30 PM
Start your evening at the Theatre with IRT’s Happy Hour! Beginning at 5:30 PM, sample appetizers and drinks from local distilleries, breweries and more before the performance. Sip, savor, and save with half-price drinks at the bar available throughout the evening.

COOKIES & COFFEE
Thursday, October 31, 2019 | Performance at 2 PM
Before the 2 PM performance, sweeten your afternoon at the IRT with complimentary cookies, coffee and tea served in the lobby. 

For more information contact Kerry Barmann, Marketing Communications Manager at kbarmann@irtlive.com or 317.916.4824.

###

ABOUT THE IRT
Founded in 1971, the Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT) is the largest professional not-for-profit theatre in the state and one of the leading regional theatres in the country. The mission of the Indiana Repertory Theatre is to produce top-quality, professional theatre and related activities, providing experiences that will engage, surprise, challenge, and entertain people throughout their lifetimes, helping us build a vital and vibrant community.