Buena’s fall play of 2022, ‘12 Angry Jurors’ is, beyond a reasonable doubt, a drama production that must be watched before this show ends. The Buena drama production first performed Nov. 10, to Nov. 12, and runs through Nov. 17 to Nov. 19. The show is based on the 1957 film, ‘12 Angry Men’ and tells a powerful message about the influence of one person who stands alone for what is right, especially with a life at stake. 

“Although this was written in 1957, it’s still applicable today.” Buena drama producer Karen Rodriguez said.”I think that students can learn a lot about opening their minds and their hearts to the truth by watching it and also by performing in it,”.

When the curtains first open, the audience is greeted with the sight of a courtroom, built with a sliding window in the center, which was entirely made from Buena’s stagecraft. Two wide-length tables with 12 seats, all lined on one side of the table to face the stage and stood in the center of the stage with one water dispenser on the right, and an american flag on the left. The actors took their seats on the chairs and discussed the case at hand. 

The play revolves around the jurors deciding the death sentence of a 19-year old boy  accused of murdering his father. They immediately see the boy as guilty due to his behavior and the environment he grew up in, including the claimed witnesses who somewhat saw the crime. 11 of the jurors are ready to vote that the boy is guilty and go home, but one juror, Juror 8 played by junior Mia Perez, writes her vote to claim the boy is not guilty. 

“It’s very moving. The power of a single person changing everyone’s mind is really powerful and it’s an amazing show,” junior Adam Karluk, Juror 7, said. 

The tension of this conflict the cast had brought amongst each other on the case made the play even more believable, making the audience forget this is an acting production. Throughout the play, the jurors remain seated, causing little to no movement throughout the show. However, the cast showed great commitment to their role and never stopped acting out their character with small details.

“It was really hard in the beginning because we smile a lot. Especially as high schoolers, it’s hard for us all to get serious and these are very serious roles. Especially since I’m a very smiley person,” Perez said as a grin spread across her face. “I’m even shocked by some of our performances because people play completely different characters and what they are in real life.”