12 Angry men in Mladeski Theatre

One of the aims of being an European Volunteer is using the time you have to get more educated and have wider cultural interests. Being volunteers in a public library in a city like a Sofia, the capital of the country, make this even easier because we have acces to lots of events and activities, like concerts, writer conferences, theaterplays, reading of poetry, etc.

 This is what happened to me last Tuesday. I had the opportunity of seeing a theater wersion of the 1957 film by Sidney Lumet 12 Angry men. So I went with Valentina, one of our mentors, to the Mladeski Theatre in Dondukov Boulevard.

The film is considered a classic and its argument is well known. Actually is perfect for a theater play and is hard to believe that it was not before the movie was made. The twelve men of a jury has to decide if a teenager acussed of murdering his own father is guilty or innocente. The entire movie happens in one single room where the jury is closed until they take a decission. Being a case in wich death penalty is involved the veredict has to be unanimous. At first all the members of the jury agree on a guilty veredict, except one, played by Henry Fonda, who has his doubts about the proofs and the witnesses.

The representation was a total reenacment of the movie, but with a very modern and particular style. All the actors were wearing smokings. There was a line of old fashioned metal mycrophones in the part the stage closest to the seats. In the most dramatic moments the actors used these microphones to talk to the public. There was gigant statue of a doberman dog hanging from the ceiling. Supposed salive was falling from his jaws during the play, I assume like a symbol of the desire for punishment. The actors sometimes, as a dramatic effect walked from a side to the other of the stage with no porpuse. During the turning points of the screenplay an actor will throw some confetti like to remark the moment.

One funny thing was that I didn´t know during the whole play that the actors were talking in polish, because they belong to a polish company. I was wondering why were there bulgarian subtitles as well in english. I have to improve my knowledge of slavic languages.