“I think maybe we owe him a few words. That’s all.”
More than a few words would be needed to explain the performance UTSA’s Rowdy Theatrical Association (RTA) put on this past weekend with their production of “Twelve Angry Men” at the Richard Liu Auditorium in room 201.02 of the Business Building.
“Twelve Angry Men” is a courtroom drama written originally by Reginald Rose that explores the deliberation of a jury in a homicide trial, where 12 jurors decide the fate of a teenager accused of murdering his father.
From beginning to end, the cast of “Twelve Angry Men” engaged the audience, but what really stood out was their chemistry. Director John Pelayo did an amazing job at developing a creative vision with the handpicked cast and the incredible crew. There is some great credit to give to the production crew for the set designs created with their budget limitations. They did an incredible job at transporting the audience into the room where the 12 jurors deliberated.
The performances from Juror #3, played by Levi Villareal, and Juror #8, played by Eliel Mckinnon, were the highlights of the entire show. With a chilling performance, these actors embodied the characters and gave weight to the emotions depicted throughout the show with their reactions to examining evidence, their prejudice towards the defendant, using empathy, raising their voices when frustrated about reaching a verdict and crying in parts where they shared a piece of their personal life to the other jurors.
The most memorable scene was Juror #8 arguing with Juror #3 about the case’s evidence and questioning whether or not it was substantial. Juror #3 bitterly started shouting “Shut up” until he got tired of Juror #8 being candid with him and began shouting “I’ll kill you!” to which Juror #8 said, “You don’t really mean you’ll kill me, do you?” and the lights faded as the audience gasped.
For this production, the cast was supposed to be of different ages. Seeing as they were all college students, makeup was the only way to do it. Near the end Juror #9 was referred to as an old lady but the effect was not noticeable. It was not known that they had makeup effects on until after the show ended which is something the cast could have worked better on.
As the plot thickened and Juror #8 provided reasonable doubt that the accused may be innocent, the jury deliberation shifted and the actors did a great job at keeping the audience attentive.
There was a point near the end of the show where the jurors started changing their vote to not guilty because of Juror #8’s persuasive efforts. The personal background the audience gained from Juror #3 gave viewers insight into his personal bias towards the defendant in the show. The small moments of comedic relief from Juror #7, played by Gabriella Caloway, made this serious production enjoyable with her entertaining New York accent.
One of the most impactful moments from the play came from Juror #10, played by Joaquin Lopez. In the scene, Juror #10 is hateful and aggressive about the case. He makes discriminatory comments about the kid they were deciding was guilty or innocent. The 12 jurors turned their backs one by one as Juror #10 made unnecessary, racist comments about Juror #8 and the defendant. This moment was the point of no return as the minds of the jurors were changed.
The production was thrilling as this play portrayed how emotions, personal experiences and discrimination can disrupt the criminal justice system. Everything from the cast to set designs in this production was well done and a great way to unwind as the end of the semester approaches.
