A Matter of Resolution
The JURY tackles an issue that is all too common in today's courtrooms. When bookwriter Diana Howie served on a jury, she realized the conflicts that can occur when jurors do not want to seriously examine the issues or take the time to come to an agreement. Being a juror is one of the few tasks that we are asked to do as citizens of this country, yet most of us have a negative reaction when the Jury Summons appears in our mail.
Moreover, where else but on a jury are Americans forced to connect with strangers, and find a basis for agreement? The jurors' resistance to do what they are supposed to do brings about both comic situations and self-realizations in our musical. These are impatient people, frustrated at being trapped in the courtroom and in a hurry to get back to their own important lives. What will it take to get them to stop talking about themselves and to focus on the case? Or are Americans too self-centered to put their egos aside and work for the greater good? Are they capable of forgetting themselves long enough to be part of an effective group?
The JURY introduces other provocative questions, especially involving the prevalence of guns in our society and our reactions to them. This multi-ethnic group of impatient jurors all have different attitudes and experiences with guns, and the case they are deciding is a choice between deliberate or accidental killing. Is this a group you would want on your jury should your stray bullet kill a neighbor? The JURY deals with some of the important issues facing a multi-cultural society, yet all is accomplished in a very entertaining manner.