As the drama department prepared for their production of ’12 Angry Men’, we went behind the scenes to talk with both the cast and crew members about what it’s like bringing this intense courtroom story to life. From long rehearsals to creative planning and stage setup, the students have been working hard to make sure every detail comes together perfectly.
Yoanna Cunningham, a 12th grader who plays Juror #4, shared what it’s been like preparing for the show. She said the planning process was “a bit stressful but everything came together smoothly.” Each department, including props, scenic, makeup, costume, and advertisement, worked on vision boards to bring their ideas to life. When asked what inspired her to join drama, Yoanna said it helped her learn more about herself and what she’s capable of. “It’s taught me to look at things from different perspectives and helped me build confidence,” she explained. One of her biggest challenges was understanding her character’s tone and posture, but after plenty of rehearsing, she added proudly, “I think I got it!”
Taylor O’Kane, a senior working behind the scenes, gave us a look at the crew’s side of things. “We worked really hard on getting the set up and making sure the lighting was okay and our actors had their lines down,” she said. To keep spirits high, the team even made TikToks to advertise and hype up the show. Taylor explained that the crew often builds the set themselves using things they find at school or in thrift shops and spend hours painting and crafting props. “I learned a lot of safety tips for how to use equipment,” she said. “I really enjoyed working with everyone to make the show look, feel, and go as amazing as possible.”
Both the cast and crew have shown how much teamwork, creativity, and effort go into making a production like ’12 Angry Men’ come to life. From building sets out of thrifted materials to perfecting each juror’s performance, it’s clear the drama department poured their hearts into this show. Everyone was able to see their hard work pay off when ’12 Angry Men’ took the stage in the Little Theater on Friday, November 14.
