AP Literature Performance Review
12 Angry Jurors
by Mikaela Gatewood
The opening performance of 12 Angry Jurors was on October 29th, 2015 at seven PM, held in Lassiter Theater. Not only was 12 Angry Jurors the first of Henry Clay High School’s plays for the year, it was the first production ever direct by art teachers Kiefer Shuler and Kristian Junker. The production starred seniors Raiffa Syamil and Isabel Jenkins, with major supporting roles from Jade Curless, Jade Kropp, and Emily Spencer.
Written by Reginald Rose, 12 Angry Jurors (originally titled 12 Angry Men) focuses on the story of a jury’s decision to convict a boy accused of murdering his father. Presented with what appeared to be unshakeable evidence, Juror 8 (Raiffa Syamil) single handedly convinces the entire jury of the boy’s innocence throughout the course of a night. Her strongest opponent was the outspoken, cynical Juror 3 (Isabel Jenkins), who, despite being presented with strong evidence favoring the boy’s acquittal, was determined to see the boy’s execution through. Eventually faced with the realization that her vendetta against the boy was due to the loss of contact with her son, Juror 3 admits defeat, setting the charged boy free.
The production of the play was a simple one, with no set changes and plain costumes. Despite the modesty of the performance, the set design itself paid close attention to detail. The table that the jurors sat at was designed to showcase every actor, inviting the audience into the small room within the courthouse. The cast itself was filled with incredibly talented performers. Several of the supporting actors shined, while the two stars showed perfect chemistry and tension between them. Each actor wonderfully embodied the character that they were playing, paying close attention to small details, such as how their character would hold a cigarette, write down verdicts, or react to lines. Overall, the performance was incredibly well put together. On a ten point scale, I would give it a nine.
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