Twelve Angry Jurors hits the stage!

Hey Wildcats! Since I was able to go to the opening night of the fall play Twelve Angry Jurors, I thought it’d be nice to write a little bit about how amazing the show was. For those unfamiliar with the play, it’s the same as Twelve Angry Men, but since our cast included more than just guys, there was a title change.

(Sorry that the camera angle cut some people off! I promise they’re all there!) Pictured: Sam Hernandez, Meghan Freitag, Mila Kaser, Cheyenne Flanagan, Damorea Patton, Juhan Taylor, Alex Love, Eva Salgado, Mekare Nye, Jeffery Johnson, Maëlle Tricart, Kimberly Good, and Alessandra Medina-Padilla.

The story follows 12 jurors as they discuss a murder trial. The verdict decided by the jurors must be unanimous (everybody has to vote the same way) for the verdict to pass. Things start to get more and more intense because one of the jurors isn’t convinced of the accused’s guilt. I’d talk more about the plot, but it’s such a good story that I highly recommend looking at one of the film adaptations (the classic 1957 version is really good!).

I was already familiar with this story, so I had some basic knowledge on what to expect, but this performance truly blew me away. The actors and actresses worked very hard (trust me, I know a few of them), and their hard work truly paid off. The emotions they displayed were realistic, and the dialogue was spoken naturally. Not to mention, when some of the intensest moments came about in the plot, I got literal chills.

Behind the scenes work was done as well. The set design was simple (the whole thing takes place in one room, so it didn’t need to be extreme), but it was effective, and according to my mother who’s had to go to jury duty before, it was an accurate representation. Of course, the set is only part of the scene. The lighting was good as well, and microphone placement ensured that all of the actors could be heard throughout the duration of the play.

I’ve gone to every one of the Riley drama club’s performances in my 4 years here (with the exception of 2019’s The Case of Alex Hansen), and this by far was the best. If you missed it, don’t worry, because the drama club is planning to put on more shows for us. In the spring, they’ll be performing the musical Once Upon a Mattress. If you’d like to get involved, they’re always looking for volunteers, so just talk to Mr. Mittlemen. Other than that, huge congrats to the drama club for an amazing performance, and of course, Go Wildcats!