March 24, 2023
Students at Pearl River Community College are bringing the classic courtroom drama, 12 Angry Jurors, to the stage with evening performances at the Brownstone Center for the Arts scheduled on Thursday, March 30 and Friday, March 31 at 7 p.m. The intense drama will allow students to stretch their acting skills beyond the more lighthearted productions of the past few years.
The play explores the huge responsibility of 12 ordinary people as they consider the guilt or innocence of a young man accused of murder. The jury’s deliberations are affected by their own histories, prejudices, and biases as they work towards a verdict.
Written during a time when women were unable to serve on a jury, many know the play and film productions of it as 12 Angry Men. Since then, productions featuring a cast where roles can be filled by any gender are done under the title 12 Angry Jurors.
The cast’s favorite quote from the production is “It takes a great deal of courage to stand alone.”
“These students have worked tirelessly to bring this story to the Brownstone,” said Director of Theater Cory Squires. We hope that our production will leave you questioning your own biases, assumptions, and beliefs about justice and fairness.”
Meet The Cast And Crew Of 12 Angry Jurors
Along with the 12 jurors, there are a few understudies and several crew members involved in the production. All of the students involved are excited to share 12 Angry Jurors with audiences this coming week. Those attending one of the performances will experience a new side to the talent of students they may have seen in previous productions like Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
“After seeing so many performances from PRCC’s performing arts department as a high school student, it’s an honor to be able to portray a strong character in such a classic piece,” said Carson Lajaunie of Carriere who portrays Juror #8. “We’ve put a lot of work into this, and I’m sure it’ll show on stage.”
Cast members include Foreman (Juror #1): Talandra Bumpers of Waynesboro; Juror #2: Micaiah Rosa of Bogalusa, LA; Juror #3: Aiden Levy of Bay St. Louis; Juror #4: Kyron Scott of Bay St. Louis; Juror #5: Vennessa Littleton of Sumrall; Juror #6: Mikayla Newell of Waynesboro; Juror #7: Anna Reese Arroyo of Hattiesburg; Juror #8: Lajaunie of Carriere; Juror #9: Justin Wakeland of Hattiesburg; Juror #10: Madalin Bisesi of Carriere; Juror #11: Jenna Morrison of Carriere; Juror #12: Miranda Dickson of Lucedale; Judge/ understudy: Mallory Lee of Diamondhead; Guard/ understudy: Less Cohran of Morton; and Understudy for Foreman – Juror #4: Cierra Johnson of Waynesboro.
The production manager is Destiny Cooley of Hattiesburg. Stephen Bonds of Carriere, Kadence Dedeaux of Perkinston, Jessica Sramek of Picayune, and Carlyn White of Foxsworth are serving as crew members.
The show deals with strong racial issues and is not suitable for all ages.
Tickets for the performances are $17 (main floor) or $12 (balcony) each and can be purchased at prcc.edu/brownstone/upcoming-events/. Discounts are available to current PRCC students, faculty and staff as well as for group purchases of 11 or more seats. Available seats can be purchased on site beginning at 6 p.m. each evening.
For the latest news on Pearl River Community College, visit PRCC.edu and follow us on Twitter (@PRCC_Wildcats), Instagram (PRCCWILDCATS), Facebook (@PRCCMKTG), and TikTok (@prcc_wildcats).
Article by Laura O’Neill
