Under the direction of Bill Gasper, this years’ Spring Play was an adaptation of “12 Angry Men” retitled “12 Angry Jurors” due to the mixed gender of the cast.

The storyline centers around the jury in a trial of a young man accused of murder.

Juror 8 (senior Madison Crees) served as the primary antagonist of the story. At the opening of deliberation, she cast the lone “not guilty” vote and fought throughout the remainder of the show to defend her choice.

Juror 8’s biggest opponents throughout the deliberation were Juror 10 (senior Anniston Weber) and Juror 3 (junior Ryan Will). Both were among the 11 initial “guilty” votes and each harbored a particular bias that largely influenced their vote.

The mood of the entire show was executed in an extremely professional manner. Rarely ever did a line feel forced or awkward.

Heavy, emotionally-charged moments were overall powerful and moving.

Juror 10’s racist comments and monologue, in particular, felt authentic and truly induced feelings of rage for her character within me.

Juror 8’s logical arguments were articulated in a way that garnered the utmost support for her cause.

Sarcastic quips and jabs were well-timed, comical, and poignant.

Facial expressions and gestures were captivating and believable for the most part.

I will be the first to admit that I am usually bored by theater productions, but the dynamics of this play and the passion exuded by the characters kept me hooked throughout the entirety of the show.

It quickly became evident the intense care that was put into the casting of characters. Each actors’ personality was most definitely taken into consideration.

Despite the fact that the production lasted just under two hours, I felt, by the conclusion, as if I had become acquainted with nearly each of the Jurors on a personal level.

Each of the actors commanded the stage during the appropriate times. They acted with mastery and maturity that one would not typically expect from high school students.

I was thoroughly impressed and rate the production 9/10 overall.

18lgregory@usd489.com