Description: This production was performed in our BlackBox space at Grand Canyon University. Other than the director, all positions of the show were student filled, and I was blessed to have the opportunity to be the scenic designer. There was virtually no budget for the production, and I was solely responsible for designing, building, and painting the set. I created posters so other students could volunteer to help, and organized jobs for everyone, in addition to reserving the space, since it was still used as a classroom for much of the week. I attended production meetings, conducted research, collaborated with the director and other designers, drew renderings and ground plans, created technical drawings, gathered and managed a team of volunteers to help with construction, taught volunteers painting and construction skills, and utilized my skill of resourcefulness.


Concept: My concept for this show was to showcase how much “gray” there is in life. The show centers around a jury trying to determine if a defendant is guilty of murder. Initially, the case seems extremely black and white; however, Juror 8 sees the many shades of gray that are present when it comes to justice, and eventually turns the rest of the jury to see it as such. Because of this, everything inside the jury deliberation room was black, white, and gray. The only source of color was the illuminated red “Exit” sign above the door, representative of how desperately all of the jury members were trying to escape from the tension in the room, or simply return to the naggings of their own life. The window was inspired by the vertical railing of jail cells, symbolic of how the jury itself was trapped in its own kind of jail, until they came to a unanimous consensus. The bulletin board was hung off center in order to bother and cause tension in the audience members as soon as they walked in. The performance fed off of uncomfortableness and tension, and I wanted the audience to experience that as well so the show could be more impactful to them.

GCU News Article: https://news.gcu.edu/gcu-news/prepare-for-emotional-roller-coaster-in-gcus-12-angry-jurors/