←Recommendations of Reasonable Doubt

A jury of ‘average citizens’ with no formal education or experience in the law, is likely to use their ‘guts’, emotions and prejudices, to decide whether the defendant is guilty or innocent. In “Reasonable Doubt” by PHILIP MIDDLETON WILLIAMS, we learn a well thoughtout justice system has its flaws, especially when it relies on the opinions, judgment, and prejudices of the jurors. I found this play to be enlightening, entertaining and engaging. I highly recommend this play. BRAVO, Philip!

It must be incredibly tough sitting in as a jury member, faced with making a tough decision based on two strong arguments, I don't fancy it thanks.
In this two hander, Philip cleverly takes us one way, then another, then yet another. Reading this I felt like a jury member myself, just waiting to see where it ends up.
A excellent play? - Guilty!

Philip Middleton Williams never fails to produce a thought-provoking piece, and he does so here in a mere 17 pages with REASONABLE DOUBT. This one-act is an intriguing two-hander between well-drawn characters about the justice system: one man who was previously on trial, one who had served on his jury, and I must add one character comes armed with excellent references to cop and courtroom media of all types. Fascinating stuff.

Fascinating one act here that raised some questions I wasn't expecting in its reading. A keen character study and philosophical discussion wrapped up in one neat little courtroom package. Definitely would be enjoyable to see this staged! Two great parts for actors to sink their teeth into.

"Reasonable Doubt" is a nifty little one-act about two men waiting to perform their civic duty by serving on a jury. The two get into a philosophical discussion about our justice system and how it is influenced by everything from the constitution to TV shows. One of the men conceals a little surprise which makes him a true insider on this "trial by jury" business. This is a good challenge for two actors and I would love to see it staged.

Justice is a complex business which doesn't always deliver in the real world. In this intriguing play, the stories of two characters are used to highlight a problem with the system. This is an important play which holds up a mirror to a serious, but perhaps not widely appreciated, problem with American justice which effects many people. May it help inspire change! Bravo!

I really do feel for Chuck here. Even after you've been acquitted of all charges, you still have trouble going on with your life after you leave the court room. Obstacles come your way, and when you meet one of the jurors from your trial like Barry face to face, you just want to know why they acquitted you. Why they found you innocent. Even though you admitted to them that you committed the crime. At the end of the play though, they come together, this time both sitting in the jury.Bravo Philip!

A discussion of how the American judicial system functions at the nuts-and-bolts level could be dry as reading a lawbook, but Williams humanizes it by creating two flesh-and-blood characters. They come from very different generations and life experiences, but they've both had some trial exposure, one as a juryman, the other as a defendant. By the end, they each reach a fuller appreciation of the nuances of the "system" and of each other. Both learn something, and so does the reader. Great work!

Sometimes a person's problems don't vanish when they are acquitted -- in fact, as this play demonstrates, it is often quite the opposite. "Reasonable Doubt" by Philip Middleton Williams examines our legal system and its impacts from the perspective of two jurors-to-be. Guilty or innocent, being brought to court or into police custody has a tendency to disenfranchise and isolate individuals, and this play breaks things down without being didactic. An eye-opening drama.

12.26.24 - Interesting food for thought. Philip Middleton Williams has given us a character discussion that poses more questions than it answers. Or at least, that it answers in a way that makes us feel the "system" works. I love the complexity of this piece, showing the flaws of our legal system even as the two men await their chance to put it into action. Chuck's convoluted, but ironic determination of his earlier fate provides quite a bit for both Barry, and the audience to ponder. Thumbs up.