This year, the Umatilla High School Drama Club will be presenting Twelve Angry Jurors, a three-act play adapted for the stage by Sherman L. Sagel. The original work, Twelve Angry Men, was initially created by Reginald Rose as a made-for-television play in the 1950s. All showings are free to the public and will be held in the Umatilla High School cafeteria.
The story follows a young man standing trial for the death of his father. It was described by the cast as a “fast-paced mystery” that is “dialogue-packed” and “the story of an underdog who seeks to be understood.”
Behind the scenes, students in the Drama Club have worked for weeks designing sets and rehearsing lines, bringing the story to life. We sat down with three cast members to discuss their role in the play and some of their thoughts in the days leading up to the performance.
Alexia Martinez is a senior this year and serves as one of the Drama Club Co-Presidents. She is the Third Juror, and would not argue against being described as the angriest juror.
Merced Dickens is a junior who joined the drama club last year as a crew member, working on stage lights. She is testing a role out on stage this year as a guard.
Rylee Griggs is a sophomore who assumes the role of Juror #5. It may be considered a smaller role with fewer lines, but the juxtaposition her role provides is a welcome break from the other hot-headed jurors on stage.
What inspired you to join drama?
“I joined as a freshman, after COVID time,” said senior Alexia Martinez. “During that time, I found a lot of joy from watching other people act on screens and wanted the opportunity to do the same for others.”
Junior Merced Dickens added, “I saw our high school had a drama program and thought, ‘Why not do it?’”
For sophomore Rylee Griggs, it was the combination of curiosity and encouragement. “My friend and I saw a poster for last year’s play and decided to try it out for fun. Mr. Hill, our advisor, also encouraged me to develop my acting skills.”
What is something you have learned through Drama Club?
“Definitely not standing still!” said Dickens.
“Remembering that I have to act with my face and I can’t just stare off into space is a challenge,” Martinez agrees. “There’s a point where I get into an argument with my scene partner and it’s so hard to remember!”
Griggs reflects on some of the skills she learned in her first year with the club, during the Fast Food production.
“I learned the importance of angling yourself toward the person you are speaking to on stage, and how to project my voice to the audience. I also learned strategies for memorizing my lines and cues, making for a better, more natural performance. It’s really helped build my confidence.“
Note: In theater, cues are specific sounds, words, or actions in a play that signal an actor to say a line, make a movement, or react to something happening on the set.
What is a challenging or rewarding scene you have worked on for this play?
One of my more challenging scenes is where I have a big argument scene with my scene partner,” said Martinez. “It’s awkward because you both have to understand what each other are saying to make it sound like a real argument. Sometimes, it is hard to remember those lines because of how big our script is. So once we got that down, it was very rewarding.”
Dickens chimes in, “I came in right after that argument, it was hard for me to say it in a way that sounded right, you know? My voice doesn’t match my character very well and I’m not a very assertive person.”
How do you push past nerves before a performance?
Martinez answers candidly, sharing a piece of drama club history. “Honestly, it’s the weirdest way, but I have a tradition. My freshman year, there was a senior on the cast named Felix. Felix had a ritual of doing 10 push ups and 10 sit ups before every show to help. Some of the other seniors and I have leaned into that tradition for years, and it is one way we shake off our nerves. It looks kind of goofy, but it really gets me going!”
Dickens responds, “This is my first time being on the cast, so I don’t have pre-show rituals yet. I will probably do whatever any other nervous person might do.”
Griggs adds, “Sometimes I even get nervous during rehearsal, I can feel all my hairs sticking up! What helps me is to remember that I am not doing it alone. I don’t have my friend in the play this year, but last year it helped that we were walking on the stage together.”
What should more people know about high school theater?
“On social media we see that bigger schools are a little bit more serious and put on bigger productions. I would just remind people that our school is a bit smaller so we don’t always generate these huge crowds and sometimes, that’s nice.” Dickens closes by saying “It’s also a great way to build camaraderie. Through the plays, the cast naturally grows close to each other.”
Martinez provides her insights as well. “I would say it’s something that you need to dedicate yourself to that is also fun. Every day you go out and hope to do your best, you hope you don’t forget your lines. We see each other through the difficult moments and build community in that way. Through all the seriousness, though, we can still crack jokes and it’s a lot of fun. I say there’s no harm in it, if you want to try to join. If you’re nervous, you can have a smaller part, or a part with the crew. If you want a big part, you can try that, too! You can evolve throughout your time in the club by starting as a crew member and moving toward the cast, or going from an actor to a stage manager. We will always have a part for you, you will never feel “left out” here.”
“It sounds really scary, but in the end when you get up on stage it’s super fun! It’s so hard to not smile or laugh, ‘cause you have to stay in your role, but it’s so much fun doing drama.” said Griggs.
Twelve Angry Jurors will be the Drama Club’s only production for the 2025–2026 school year, and the cast hopes to see a full audience. Performances will be held Thursday, November 20, Friday, November 21, and Saturday, November 22, each at 7:00 p.m. Don’t miss your chance to see these talented students bring the courtroom drama to life.