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A PLAYSCRIPTS TITLE
Full-Length Play, Comedy / 6w, 6m
Ian McWethy
A man is accused of abducting half a dozen cats. He admits it. It’s an open-and-shut case, even for a jury filled with oddballs – with the exception of one sane juror.
When a man is accused of abducting half a dozen cats, it's a simple open-and-shut case, even for a jury that's filled with oddballs like a dim-witted PR guy, a bickering couple and a man obsessed with french fries. After all, every scrap of evidence indicts the accused. (I mean so clearly. The man is very, very guilty of stealing cats. Case closed.) And yet, Juror #8, a wannabe lawyer, believes that the “Cat Burglar” is innocent. Will he be able to sway the other jury members? Or will they side with Juror #3, the only sane man in the room, in this hilarious parody of 12 Angry Men.
12 Incompetent Jurors premiered off-Broadway at the SoHo Playhouse in New York City in conjunction with the New York International Fringe Festival in August 2010. It was directed by Jeffrey Glaser.
FOREMAN – Overly eager to please, energetic. Takes improv classes at the Y but has only one character, “a kooky Cockney lady” she randomly inserts into conversation. TWO – Nervous, prone to anxiety attacks. Terrible at making arguments or standing up for himself (or herself). THREE – A sensible everyman or woman. FOUR – A bratty teenager. Always texting. Rude, inconsiderate, easily annoyed. FIVE and SIX – A bickering couple. Loud, argumentative, but gosh darn it if they don’t love each other. SEVEN – Sweet but lonely. Unemployed and lives with his grandmother. Thinks he’s found a friend in the prosecutor. EIGHT – Believes he or she should have been a lawyer. Persuasive and self-righteous. NINE – Creepy guy. Eats fries all the time. Keeps to himself mostly. TEN – Angry, at almost everyone. Definite rage issues. Probably should be medicated. ELEVEN – Works in PR. A fast-talker though not much of an intellect. TWELVE – An emigrant from somewhere in Eastern Europe. Has trouble expressing her ideas and understanding others.
Voice Characters
JUDGE – Stern, serious, an authority figure. DONALD PLEATS – The defendant. In the audio we hear that he is clearly nuts. And guilty. So guilty. BRAD – A normally mild-mannered husband. SHELLY – A normally mild-mannered wife.
All the roles, in my opinion, can be played by either a man or a woman, so feel free to change the gender of any character (as well as any corresponding pronouns).
The Judge, Mr. Pleats, Brad, and Shelly are vocal roles only. You can cast them within the 12 person cast, or outside of the cast as well. Their parts can be acted live, or pre-recorded. It is completely up to you.
There are a few mild swear words in here. If you object to any of the language, feel free to change it. My aim with this play is to entertain a wide audience, not offend anyone.
A jury room. A table, twelve chairs. A water cooler.
“This laugh-filled, absurdist farce indicts our willingness to be swayed by the most outlandish of arguments.” – NY Theatre
“Absurdist parody, full of bold and well-formed characters.” – Three Weeks Edinburgh
“Entertaining, ludicrous... a light and enjoyable theatrical treat.” – Ed Fringe Review
Ian McWethy has written over 60 plays that regularly receive over 1,000 productions every year. They’ve been produced in all 50 states and in over 50 countries abroad. He’s also co-written two novels with Carrie McCrossen, Margot Mertz Takes It Down and Margot Mertz For The W ...