By: Hermione Leon
On September 13th, 2023, the auditions for the PCHS fall play 12 Angry Jurors were held. 12 Angry Jurors will comprise Ms. Baurle as the director, Toni Ash as the assistant director, Ms. Darrow as the producer, and Sophia Tellez as the stage manager.
The play is about a 19-year-old boy who is accused of fatally stabbing his father. Twelve jurors are held responsible for the final verdict on whether the boy is found guilty based on the evidence presented. The play contemplates the weight of the responsibility of deciding another human being’s fate.
On September 15th, posted on the auditorium door, was the cast list. It read as follows:
Foreman- Kyla Haley – Williams
Juror #2- Hermione Leon
Juror #3 – Nicholas Bedoya
Juror #4 – Sabrina Contreras
Juror #5 – Sophia Teliz
Juror #6 – Ace Buitron
Juror #7 – Ava Garcia
Juror #8 – Sebastian Gimenez
Juror #9 – Jordan Rivera
Juror #10 – Yvette Solis
Juror #11 – Azrael Us
Juror #12 – Dachesca Payano
Judge – Lucia Giordano
Guards – Alejandro Mojica & Diego Vega
When interviewing the cast members about their show and their characters, I received a lot of feedback. I could see that the whole Drama Club was very excited about their upcoming year. From speaking to the cast, I saw how attached they were to the roles. Alejandro explained how important jurors 2 & 3 were to him, “they’re relatable. Sometimes it can be hard to state your opinions or be able to stick with your opinion when people around you are more powerful than you.” I can tell from his explanation that this play was very well chosen, and is loved by its actors. Therefore I was prompted to ask the Director, Ms.Baurle, her reasoning for choosing this play.
Ms. Baurle explained to me “For the last two years we have focused on more comical plays and this year we wanted to try something more dramatic. Students in the Drama Club requested a show that required more of a focus on character building and 12 Angry Jurors was the perfect show. Not only is it a very famous film (12 Angry Men) that some students have watched in classes here at Port Chester High School, but our production will be staged fully on the stage with the audience seated very closely on the action. The hope is that with the audience sitting on stage and opposite one another. They feel as though they are in the deliberation room alongside the jurors, contemplating the facts and determining whether they would vote guilty or innocent. With the audience only a few feet away, the actors must hone their movements, voice projection, and facial expressions. It is a challenging show to produce, but we hope that the audience feels the attention as well as the seriousness of the situation and learns a bit more about the social justice system.”
The play is an examination of how 12 people come to terms with a crime, a verdict, and each other. The show’s dates are on November 16th, 17th, and 18th at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium. Ticket sales will be available online starting October 12th. Make sure to get your ticket early, as seating is limited! Ticket price to be determined.