Opening night of the first production of the year for HSE’s Drama Club is always an exciting event. It is intriguing to meet the cast members, especially those who are new to the club, so you can get an idea of where the talent is heading for the next few years. The first production also sets the stage for the other two productions of the year. Going into 12 Angry Jurors knowing that The Little Mermaid is next, it is going to be interesting to see the contrast between this tense drama and the lighthearted Disney classic.
HSE Drama decided to opt out from the typical direction of choosing a comedy, and instead, chose to handle a drama. Sherman Sergel’s, 12 Angry Jurors, the gender-neutral adaptation of Reginald Rose’s Emmy award-winning movie 12 Angry Men.
The play takes place in Chicago in the 1950s, where a young man from the slums is placed on trial for stabbing his father. On the outside, the case seems pretty open-and-close, but the 12 jurors must deliberate his guilt or lack thereof. Considering our current socio-political climate, this choice for the play seemed very appropriate. The show provided commentary on issues such as race and prejudice, topics that are still prevalent today in 2017.
Compared to previous shows, the set design for this production was relatively simple. However, considering the difficulties the club had regarding practice and preparation with The Little Theatre under construction, this is understandable. Even so, the simple set worked well for the production, as it allowed the emotion and drama of the dialogue to shine through.
In terms of the cast itself, there was a good blend of experienced actors and new faces. Senior Mallory Cavanaugh played a fantastic villain. Her inflection and passion made her character very convincing. Senior Haley Stroup is no stranger to the stage; her role was very fitting and she really made the character her own. Some of the new spotlight cast members were freshmen; Emily Jean-Baptiste, Josh Matasovsky and Dora Reed. Jean-Baptiste’s emotion in certain scenes was incredible. Matasovsky and Reed were well-casted and fit their roles very well. Performances by sophomores Austin Henkel and Demrie Hasey were also notable, with Hasey playing a very convincing old man, thanks to the costume and makeup crew.
It’s worth noting the renovations to The Little Theatre, and it impacts on the experience. The theatre itself looks, very nice and modern. They still kept the brick walls of the original theatre but modernized it with new chairs, carpeting and the control room. Overall, it had a more professional feel to it. Also interesting was the new method of ticket sales. Instead of selling physical paper tickets, the Drama Club has switched over to an online ticket sales method, where audience members reserve their specific seat for the show. It’ll be interesting to see if this method sticks around for future shows.
With two more shows of this production, I strongly recommend trying to get tickets to either tonight or Saturday’s performances to catch this wonderfully produced show.
