The Drama Club, or whatever it was called, put on a play. It was a courtroom murder mystery, I think. The gimmick was that a number of people from the audience would be “empaneled” as the jury prior to the first act. The play was constructed so as to leave the outcome in some doubt. Then, when the play was over, the “jury” had to render a verdict. I think it was “Where were you on the 20th of January?” Probably an old chestnut of high school drama clubs. I wonder if anyone here is at all familiar with this play, and if the title is known. (This was my stepping stone to Hollywood, but I must have taken a wrong turn.)
Dopers?
Night of January 16th by Ayn Rand
The play is set in a courtroom during a murder trial, and an unusual feature is that members of the audience are chosen to play the jury.
Unfrickinbelievable! The SDMB comes through again! Great find. Thank you.
5 minutes flat. Not a record, but close!
No problem. I saw the play myself back in the 90s
I strive for the record each time, though
At the bottom of this page is an old, unsolved ID This Play? thread. Maybe someone could have some luck with it.
It’s not at the bottom of my page (the selected threads listed below a thread are possibly individualized by user?). Can you give the actual link?
I’ll try.
Hey, looks like it worked.
Thank you
We did this play in my high school drama club (in the early '80s). I can still recite the first couple paragraphs of the prosecuting attorney’s speech from memory after all this time.
“On the night of January 16th near midnight, when the lights of Broadway blazed an electric dawn over the gay crowd below, the body of a man came hurtling through space and crashed, a disfigured mess, to the ground below.” (“ground” might be wrong… my memory deserted me right at the end.)
You’re welcome.
My part started with the line, “My name is Elmer Sweeney.” It was downhill from there.
I know, I know–don’t laugh. But the end of the line popped into my head later the same night so I had to finish it:
“…the body of a man came hurtling through space and crashed, a disfigured mess, at the foot of the Faulkner Building.”
My part started with the line, “My name is Elmer Sweeney.” It was downhill from there.
Ah, yes, the janitor. Funny story (sorta–it was funny at the time): I played the court recorder in the play (I think I had one line–mostly all I had to do was sit by the bench and pretend to type). At one point, the kid playing Elmer Sweeney came up to me, during an actual performance, and whispered, “So–what’s your opinion on oral sex?”
I don’t think he was trying to be creepy, just trying to see if he could get a rise out of me. It didn’t work. 
Wow, you just brought back a memory I hadn’t thought about since the early Eighties. 