This show has been such a fantastic journey. It was a privilege to tell this incredible story with such an amazing group of people. This show has been a culmination of all the skills I learned as a theatre major here. It is also the first show I have done since I took Acting 2 so I have become so much more familiar with how exactly to analyze characters, use the objects around me, and so many more valuable skills.
These new developments began before the audition process. I scored and rehearsed my monologue in a way I never had before. I knew exactly how I would say every word and where I would be standing during every moment. I was more prepared than I had ever been for an audition. This served me well as I felt completely comfortable doing the audition. I didn’t feel nearly as nervous as I had for previous auditions.
Going into the summer I felt a bit anxious as we didn’t know what show we were doing and definitely hadn’t received a script yet so I couldn’t study my lines and begin getting off book before the rehearsal process began. My worries were soon soothed as the show was decided and the script arrived in a timely manner. This is when I began to dive into the world of the play. Unlike some of my castmates, I had never seen the film before so I was entirely unfamiliar with Reginald Rose’s incredible story. I fell in love with it pretty quickly. The dialog feels so realistic and the story focuses on some deep topics that are unfortunately still all too relevant in the modern-day United States.
This felt daunting at first. I worried that I wouldn’t be able to do the story justice. However, I thought back to my senior project proposal where I talked about breaking out from the comedic roles I typically play and approaching a more grounded serious role. Any role in this show fulfills that desire, including Juror 2. When I read the show for the first time I noticed that I didn’t have as many lines as other characters but rather than letting that be something that disappoints me I see it as a strength. It is an opportunity to communicate non-verbally and have a point of view on every moment. If the playwright wanted me to have more lines I would but in this role that isn’t my purpose.
Going into the rehearsal process there were numerous new experiences and challenges for me to address. We rehearsed in a space smaller than our performance space. This was my first three-act play. This is my first show with no intermission. The last new experience particularly scared me. Not only would there be no intermission but I am on stage for the entire show. I needed to stay engaged with what is happening around me at all times with no breaks. I won’t lie and say this was easy. I definitely struggled with it. At one point I had to have a conversation with Marc about approaching the show with purpose as I was getting distracted by the people around me. I reflected on this and came to the next rehearsal with that sense of purpose. I carried it with me for the rest of the show and I am a better actor because of it.
If I take anything from that process, it’s the importance of approaching everything I do with a sense of purpose, because without that, why do it at all? Similarly, I will be taking away the idea of listening. It is something that seems easy but every day we listen to respond rather than to hear and internalize. Mary and I had a great conversation about this and it is such a fond memory from the process that really opened my eyes about this.
I am incredibly proud of how far I have come, both in this show and as a theatre major. It is wild to think about myself five years ago when I did not even plan to major in theatre and now I am about as involved as someone can be. Looking back on the work I have done on this show and all of the ones that came before never fails to make me smile and think about how proud I am of myself.
