The play
The performing arts continue to be an essential part of academic curriculum. They help students to be more creative and inventive decision makers and teach powerful ways of communicating ideas, thought, and feelings.
A popular play in classrooms across the country is Twelve Angry Men. It is a complex one-act play that uses simple language to communicate challenging themes of racism, group dynamics, justice, and integrity.
There are several ways that this play can be used in classrooms. The following activities suggest ways that it can be incorporated into an interdisciplinary learning experience touching on learning skills in literature, social and political science, dramatic arts, stagecraft, marketing and business management, public speaking, and film studies.
Begin by having students read the play. Then choose from the following activities.
Reading a Play
Explain that plays are meant to be heard and seen, not read. Assign each of the parts to a student and read the play aloud. Put someone in charge of reading stage directions. Explain that acting troupes typically begin their rehearsal process by sitting and reading the entire play. This is called a "read through."
What a Character!
Divide students into small groups. Assign each group one of the characters. Have the group analyze their character and conduct one of the following activities:
Write a profile of the character, describing his personality, appearance, and motivations.
Conduct an "interview" with the character, with one group member role playing the character and the other role playing a newspaper reporter covering the trial.
Write a letter from the character to his long-time best friend describing the trial and his perspective on what happened.
Draw a picture depicting what you think the character would look like and what he would wear.
Pretend you are entering a ball game at a baseball stadium. Pantomime the way your character would behave at the game.
Write new lyrics to a song that your character would sing as an explanation of his actions or beliefs.
Fill out an order for what you think your character would have requested for dinner if the deliberations had continued and food had been ordered. Explain your choice.
Putting the Play in Context
Discuss the events that took place during the summer of 1956""the same time in which the play takes place. Some events include:
Sinking of the Andrea Doria
4-week old baby kidnapped from the patio of a Long Island family
The Detroit Tigers and Briggs Stadium are sold for a record $5.5 million
The "Suez crisis" occurred
The U.S. motto "In God We Trust" was adopted
Tell students that they are reporters for a day and will be reporting on the trial in "Twelve Angry Men" and the events listed above. Have them write articles for a mock newspaper. Each article should be no more than 300 words. Every story in a newspaper or magazine has a lead. The lead must grab the reader's attention and give them a reason to keep reading. Encourage students to use a pyramid style of writing.
Assign stories. Article assignments might include:
Sinking of the Andrea Doria
Sidebar on other fatal shipwrecks (be sure to include only those that occur before 1956)
Profile of the defendant in the trial
News accounts of the trial
Result of the White Sox baseball game
Interview with a juror
Weather report (should be consistent with the weather reported in the script)
Divide students into production teams to create a newspaper page:
Editorial team. This team reads through the stories to determine which stories will get used and which stories should get the biggest play. They will need to tell the layout and design team the priority of the stories that are included.
Layout and design team. They will create the design of the page, determining the type size, style, and how to place pictures. They should also place the articles in place using a computerized layout program.
Copyediting team. This team will edit all the stories""checking them for punctuation, grammar, spelling, and factual accuracy. They will then write headlines that fit in the space determined by the layout and design team.
Photo and artwork team. This team should determine what type of art could go with each story (photos, drawings, graphics, charts). If the class has access to a digital camera, they should set up shots and take pictures to use in the newspaper. Otherwise, they should draw pictures or find art from the Internet or other sources. They should also write cutlines for each photo or drawing.
Electronic publishing team. Have a team of students determine how they would present the class's stories on a Web site.
Family Portrait
Explain that actors use warm-up exercises to ensure their voices are in good condition, to help them relax before a performance, and to improve their concentration and focus. The following exercise is a popular one to help actors learn to listen, get into characters, focus, and relax. Divide students into small groups of five to seven people. Have students arrange themselves as if they were a family about to get a portrait taken. Everyone should be in a "pose" when you say "freeze." Repeat the exercise with them being a family of elephants, royalty, hillbillies, mice, cats, etc.
Directing a Cast
One of the director's first jobs is to assemble a crew and to hold auditions to find a cast. During auditions, the director asks auditioners to read a particular scene. The director listens to voice quality, looks for the right ages and body types, and watches to see how well people take direction.
Ask students to read through the script again and ask what scenes they would ask auditioners to read to cast the parts of #1, #3, #7 and #10. They should pick a different scene for each part.
Designing and Building a Set
Traditionally, set design was done with pencil, paper, a drawing board, t-squares, and triangles. While these tools are still in common use, many designers now use computer programs.
Ask students to brainstorm the types of tools that they think they would need to build a set. Answers should include:
Power drill
Steel tape
Framing square
Chalk line
Combination square
Cross-cut saw
Hacksaw
Jig saw
Circular saw
Utility knife
Hammers
Wrench
Pliers
Screwdrivers
Staple gun
Nails
Wood screws
Drywall screws
Bolts and nuts
Hinges
Divide students into small groups and let them pick one of the following activities. Remember that they must wear safety glasses if tools are used.
Create a display (either as a poster or a computer presentation) of the various types and sizes of nails and their common uses.
Create a presentation on shop safety. Be sure to include concepts such as wearing safety goggles, using the proper tools for the job, cleaning up the work area, and not leaving tools on top of ladders.
Build a miniature flat measuring 1' by 2'. Use 1 by 3 stock and ¼" plywood, along with blue nails.
Write a report on the composition and uses of plywood (especially ¼" and ¾"), explaining why it is strong and why difficulties may arise in joining plywood with nails and screws.
Draw an accurate ¼-inch = 1 foot scale ground plan of the stage at your school's theater.
Prepare a report for the class about a famous theatrical designer, including pictures of his or her designs.
Publicizing the Play
Invite a guest speaker from one of your local community theater groups to speak to your class. Topics of discussion should include:
Non-profit status
Importance of community outreach
Mission of the theater organization
Types of partnerships the theater organization forms
Community service the organization performs
Volunteer recruitment
Film Studies
Show students the 1957 Henry Fonda film version of Twelve Angry Men. Discuss the differences between the movie and the stage play. Then have them cast the show using today's actors.
