The audience as jury

I don't think there's a problem with it. I go to small but professional theaters and they often present plays that are not completely traditional, or are even experimental.* I went to a one-woman play one time where the character handed out food and drink to the audience (I got a cookie and a pat on the back . . . but I didn't get any coffee!). This wasn't just a student play, the actor at the time was head of the local Shakespeare Theater and has had small parts in movies.

If I recall correctly, what you describe has been done before, that is, the audience as jury, or citizen of Athens, or whatever. I think it's an intriguing idea as long as you do it well.

Good luck.

*One of the theaters tried putting on Waiting For Godot using women as the characters a few years ago. They advertised it heavily and were just ready to open . . . when the trustees of Beckett's estate said they couldn't substitute women for the male characters. Apparently Beckett was a stickler for doing his plays as written and the trustees thought they were following his wishes. They threatened legal action and the play was never put on.

breaking the fourth wall is common in smaller theaters

I think Ayn Rand did that...here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_January_16th

I think that's a great idea. I love the idea of the audience being more closely involved. I think most audiences like it too. I've been to plays where this has happened, and the audience really reacted well.

One play I went to was set in a bar where they had a karaoke scene. They actually asked members of the audience if they wanted to come up to the stage and do a song. They did, and it was fantastic. Hugely entertaining. Some audiences go for that.

Of course, some don't.

There are many plays that do just what you are suggesting. I can dig out a list if you want more info. I have one unpublished manuscript where the audience actually votes innocent or guilty at intermission and the second act is different depending on how the audience votes. In another play, twelve jurors are selected from the audience and come on stage to sit in the jury box and vote during intermission. (In this case majority rules - not unanimous - there is one plant in the twelve who is instructed to vote with the majority to insure they don't get a hung jury.)

BUT - think of the layout of the courtroom. The jury is not in front of the judge. They are off to the side. Yes, witnesses do look at and play to the jury but most of the action is towards the gallery.

As to breaking the fourth wall, as AlleyCat said, it is done often, particularly in small theaters where the closeness of the audience provides the intimacy needed for this kind of play.

I personally like it a lot and have used it several times both in plays I've written and in plays I've directed.

A few years ago, I directed the play "TRIBUTE" by Bernard Slade. The audience were "friends" of the lead character who had come to honor him. Most of the characters had monologues to the audience where they related their time with the lead character - some were funny, some were uplifting and some made you cry. His "son" actually set up a projection screen and showed slides of his bout with chemotherapy. All together it worked very well.

Go for it! Remember the motto: Whatever it takes to tell the story.

Doug

If done right, it can work real well. Heck, you could even have a couple of cast members play their roles from out in the audience instead of on the stage. I saw that done once at a short-play contest, and it worked well (and threw the audience for a loop for awhile ...)