Ensemble Performs 12 Angry Jurors

By RAYANN CISSE, AMERSON LIANG, LEVI STOLL, and MEGHAN TATE ZEE

Dim lights cast shadows of twelve jurors arguing on the stage of the Actor’s Lab. Surrounding the Harkness table sat actors playing a multitude of different types of jurors debating on the guiltiness of an adolescent on trial for the murder of his father. At the beginning of the play, only one juror thought the defendant was innocent, but after stressful fights and sentimental conversations, the other jurors overcame their stubbornness and saw the facts for what they were. In the end, the jurors declared their doubt of the charges placed on the defendant. The combination of spiteful, humorous, and sensible jurors created a show that made the pact audience roar, rage, and reflect on societal behaviors conveyed through the production.      

On Saturday, Feb. 15, the New Plays Ensemble had two performances of 12 Angry Jurors. The production was directed by the Academy’s very own Rob Richards and was originally written by Reginald Rose.

With the selection of unique characters and the tense scenario of the play, there are complex dynamics of the characters that resemble deep themes of the society we live in today and what we should strive to improve. Richards stated, “Having a perspective that people can debate and disagree, but to do it civilly to listen open-mindedly to others was at the heart of the play. We have to strive to be noble, value uncertainty, think of the possibility of innocence, and want to go deeper in caring about humanity.”

Richards continued, “In today’s world, there are so many things that can get in the way of just looking at the facts and finding the truth. At first, it may seem that the facts are on the side of those who vote guilty. But in fact, as juror number eight overly chips away at the armor of these people and the guilt of the case, it becomes increasingly clear that, whether it’s their own arrogance, biases, or histories, these people are blinded by things other than the truth.” 

Cast member and lower Nina Figueroa-Crowe added, “Being able to look past is something we need to do to function as people, a school, a society, and a democracy.”

Cast member senior Sophie Rose Riopel commented, “The main message was to understand the prejudices that we all hold. No matter what spaces we enter into, whether that be a jury room or just a conversation you have with people, to not make snap judgments and to understand that we all come from different experiences, backgrounds, and stories.”

When it came to the process of producing 12 Angry Jurors, the cast members had a lot of fun and put in the hard work to overcome challenges. Richards stated, “I like to have a fun rehearsal a period over the term because it takes a lot of work and time. However, it was challenging because everybody, off and on, got so sick– we had more absences than I’ve ever had in a play.” Richards later added how the team combatted this challenge, “So, our stage director Claire Chetwynd stepped in to help with rehearsing lines. Junhyeok Jang had one of those thankless parts because it was so small, but he was an understudy for basically everybody. So they both saved the day multiple times.”

Cast member and prep Ethan Dai emphasized another challenge. “One of the highlights was the way we dealt with certain improvisations and uncertainties,” he stated, “For example, there were times where we skipped parts, and there were times where people were almost on the verge of forgetting their lines, but they were able to improvise.”

During the experience, the cast was proud of how far they had come and how well they had done. Riopel reflected on the show, “After the first show, the energy was so high. Everyone was so excited and relieved, so it was a mix of both knowing that we had gone through it once but also knowing that we had another show to look forward to on the same day. The second show was also a huge high after the performance.” 

Cast member prep Emi Southgate reflected, “It felt fulfilling because we had worked so hard to get to that point, and then once we got there, it was put together so well. Everyone was proud of one another, which added to our theater family. Once the play was over, it was a good reflection of the work we put into having it go so smoothly.” 

Audience member and prep Evan Chen highlighted how “Almost every second of the show, I was on the edge of my seat. It was the perfect balance of humor, suspense, and storyline.”

Another audience member, prep Maddie Barret reflected, “I was so amazed with Emi’s acting. I could feel the anger her character had. It truly felt like I was watching this happen in real life.” 

Despite minor hiccups along the way, the cast pulled through and were able to come together to create a magical play. “I was certainly very proud,” Richards mentioned, “It came together fantastically, and that’s what was gratifying. The audience was very receptive, and the cast really drove it. They moved it along at a good pace, and it was great to see that they made it their own.” 

The New Plays Ensemble’s production of 12 Angry Jurors was heartfelt and engaging. The cast’s diligence and teamwork were evident as they told the vivid stories of the types of people we see in our world and, more importantly, in ourselves.