Participating in a courtroom experience is typically not an open process, but locals will have the chance to be part of all the action with Fever’s latest interactive showcase — The Jury Experience.
Fever, as an entertainment company, regularly orchestrates arts and culture events that put a unique spin on whatever subject they’re delving into. In the past, the city has seen Dining in the Dark activations, a live Van Gogh experience and even Candlelit Concerts, but with this latest theatrical production, Fever is diving into a new world of theater. And it’s just as unique for its actors participating.
“I saw this listed a few months ago and I sent them out a cold call saying, ‘Hey, this is something I think I might be interested in,'” says Dave Dougherty.
Aside from being a working actor for over two decades, Dougherty also spent years working in the Philadelphia Sheriff’s office, up close and personal to the kind of circumstances displayed in the show. Once he saw the listing for this new role, he knew he had the chops to do it well.
“It’s almost like going back to your high school, only now you’re the teacher. So it has that feel to it. I’m going back to this familiar place that I spent many years at, but now I get to act in a role that I looked up to and saw different men and women do—and I get to incorporate some of those mannerisms and moments I witnessed.”
“I think it’s really unique. The audience does, and part of what I do is encourage them to be involved,” he continues. “Near the end, when we get to the verdict, I encourage them to deliberate calmly with respect. Talk to one another, talk to family members, talk to the neighbors, listen to their opinion, then vote with responsibility. The feedback that I’ve seen so far is that everybody enjoys the process.”
The Jury Experience premiered in Philadelphia a few months ago with a “case” surrounding an accident involving a driverless car.
“The driverless taxi reads the situation wrong and it hits a guy on the bike and kills him. There was an accident down south somewhere, I think in Texas, where one of those driverless cars misinterpreted the situation and caused a multi-car crash. So I think it’s relevant to what’s going on,” Dougherty continues.
The show will now open with a new case for its slew of upcoming shows on Friday, Sept. 12, Thursday, Oct. 30 and Friday, Nov. 7.
“We’re introducing new cases to grow the franchise. It’s been received well everywhere,” explains Dougherty.
“The initial case that we did already is a serious deal, it’s straightforward. Now with this new case, they’re trying to add a little bit of camp to it, a little bit of levity. This one is the paranormal case that they’re workshopping. The possibility is we could change the case, and that bodes well for us actors because if they keep changing these cases, that means that we’ll get more work.”
In the Jury Experience, Dougherty takes on one of the most pivotal roles—the judge. He takes all of his experience working in the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office and then his acting experience to inform his role.
“I even rehabilitated my [Philly] accent for it. It became a laughing point for the director afterwards,” he quips.
“When I’m playing the judge, I’m really conscious of the fact that I have a law degree and I’ve ascended to that position. I think it serves a unique and novel approach. Everybody gets to be a juror, and once we go through the trial, we do pick a foreman from the audience that comes out and I address them directly: ‘What’s your name? Have you ever served on a jury before? Do you vouch for this entire room?’ And that elicits chuckles. And then we go through the vote—which happens quickly.”
From start to finish, the experience allows visitors to dissect witness testimonies, unpack evidence, and weigh every argument before settling on a final verdict.
“I’ve just started to get into the [new] script. I think what they’re trying to do now is have the verdict change every time. They’re trying to get it a little bit more controversial…and that’s a fine line to walk in itself because you don’t want it to be political, too volatile,” says Dougherty. “The idea at the end of the day is to be entertaining and to give everybody entertainment from it.”
The remaining shows of The Jury Experience will play this fall at the Media Theatre For The Performing Arts (104 East State St.) Fever will also be putting on two workshops this summer (more information on those are available via social media.) But for the main showcases, tickets ($51-$64) are currently on sale, and some tiers of seats are already sold out for the early productions.
“We’re all jurors on every case we ever hear. You have the opinion automatically,” finishes Dougherty. “So this gives everybody the opportunity to do just that—to serve.”
To learn more information on The Jury Experience, visit feverup.com
