Photos courtesy of Annika Lee (left), Rajeev Roy (right).
Last year, the Choate Arts Department was forced to perform most of its productions viritually. Now, the Theater Department is making a comeback this fall with live shows Twelve Angry Jurors, the mainstage production, and Xanadu, the smaller fall musical in The Chase Bear (Black Box) Theater.
As the title suggests, Twelve Angry Jurors is about 12 jurors who discuss the case of a young man accused of murder. The play offers a deeper look into the courtroom and how the pasts, prejudices, and preconceptions of each juror influence their decisions.
“I really missed theater,” said Orville Amankwah ’22, who plays Juror #8. “Last year, we had this hybrid theatre … and it just feels so much better to interact with people face-to-face, because that’s what theatre is. It’s the relationship between people and how you connect and how you tell a story.”
Twelve Angry Jurors particularly interested Amankwah after she did an internship this past summer at a law firm. The lawyers she worked with were helping to free wrongfully accused people from incarceration, and she described their work as “the kind of thing the case in Twelve Angry Jurors deals with: the flaws in our justice system. It exposes them in an interesting way that I’ve never seen in theater before, and I thought that that was a story that I wanted to help tell.”
Jordan Azzinaro ’22, who plays Juror #10, added that the play also showcases the importance of examining one’s implicit biases. “We see where they come from, what affects them, and how their worldview affects their view on this case. I think that’s a really interesting message highlighted by this play,” she said.
Xanadu is a little more lighthearted in its message. While descending from the heavens to Earth to inspire a mortal artist, Kira, a Greek muse, finds herself falling in love with the mortal. The musical emphasizes the persistence of chasing after one’s dreams even if others attempt to inhibit them. Director Tracy James, popularly known as Trayjay, hoped the musical would empower the audience “to not take life seriously and to have fun.” Her favorite part about the musical process is watching her actors grow, “turning [a script] into a live performance and seeing how excited the kids are, especially when things all come together.”
Kathleen McClatchie ’23, who played Danny McGuire, said that the Choate production of Xanadu aimed to “convey a sense of community and finding people.”
Jasmine Khuu ’24, who played Polyhymnia and Hera, loved the costume and makeup aspects of the musical. She said, “It brings everything alive and lifts up the mood. Everyone gets super hyped up, and what’s better than ten muses dressed up in rainbow colours walking around campus?”
Technical theater is a vital part of the production process that is often overlooked. Raye Osayimwese-Sisson ’23 worked on costume and makeup this fall for both Twelve Angry Jurors and Xanadu. She didn’t view the tech process as highly creative since “techies” mostly stick to what the actors and directors want, but she enjoyed the experience. “We get to have fun,” she said. “We collaborate a lot in terms of props, especially with the ‘techies’ who work on the set and with actors. We try to get them into a costume that they feel comfortable in and fits their role.”
While traditionally held in Gelb, Xanadu was moved to the Chase Bear Theater this year due to a potential safety hazard in the audience, caused by the lighting position. The change in theater was substantial as the crew went from seven entrances/exits to three and lost the use of a movie screen and projector, not mentioning the lights designed by Lara Stone ’22. “But, alas, this is theater, and the show must go on and indeed it did, receiving standing ovations for the remaining shows. The show was a huge success, and I am so proud of each and every one of them for their patience and perseverance in making the show triumphant,” said Ms. James.
“I didn’t regret walking all the way to the PMAC in the cold and pouring rain,” said Rose Shen ’22, who attended Xanadu, “The passionate and joyous atmosphere of the cast made my Saturday.”
