Investigating a murder case, 12 NC drama students gathered in a jury room and decided on the course of action for the accused. The 12 jurors spend all night bickering and arguing over the guilt of a nineteen year old boy who allegedly killed his father. NC performed 12 Angry Jurors on the nights of February 15, 16, and 17 in the Black Box theatre.

“I loved how intense some of the scenes were and getting to portray that intensity, especially the scene where juror three almost punched juror eight,” junior Emily LaPierre (Foreman) said.

The show opened with the Judge, sophomore Darius Martin, explaining the jurors’ job and duty after they step into the room. Once the jurors entered the room, chaos began and the bickering never stopped.

Senior Chris Roach played juror number three: the man with a set intention to put this boy to death. When all but juror eight agreed on the guilt of the young man, Roach looses his temper and targets the outlier.

Playing juror number three as his first official role in theatre, Roach clenched the lead role with passion and emphasis. Junior Bri-Leshe Gaston and junior Nefertiti Shabazz also participated in 12 Angry Jurors as their first show and enjoyed their acting debut in this thrilling production.

“This was my first time actually acting in a show, and I loved the experience. We were able to pull through whenever something went wrong on stage. I also really liked my role because it was easy for me to catch attitudes with other characters,” Gaston said.

Presenting the idea that no juror should immediately send a boy to death, junior Hope Kutsche, juror eight, presents the reasonable doubt that eventually convinces the entire group. Roach argues the concrete facts of the case while Kutsche remains the devil’s advocate throughout the show.

Once Kutsche explains her point, the other jurors soon follow her lead and change their votes. Many different testimonies and facts sway the jurors from guilty to not guilty as Kutsche opens the door to reasonable doubt in everyone’s eyes.

“My character was kind of all I wish I could be. Calmly and clearly making arguments to ensure justice is fairly dealt, juror eight is compassionate to everyone, and considers all sides of the arguments. It was wonderful to step into that character and relax into the role. It was an incredible experience,” Kutsche said.

With the outbreak of the flu this season, an important actor in this production could not make it to the performances. Senior Jordan Hicks could not perform, but sophomore Evyna Milligan gladly stepped into his role and memorized his lines as fast as possible.

“Jumping into a role the day of opening night is stressful. However, doing something like that is an honor because it lets you know that the director and surrounding actors and actresses trust you and know you have the potential to take on a challenge like that. The cast was nothing but supportive and the motivation I had, especially from Jordan, was one of my main drives in doing so,” Milligan said.