On May 4th and 5th, the Green Hope Drama Club presented their entirely student-made show, Jury Duty. In the hour-long play, a twenty-member cast performed the comedy of a convicted criminal trio tried for their alleged gas station robbery. Given the name Jury Duty, the audience decided the trial process, while interactions between the characters and the viewers carried along the plot. 

Amarah Pearson (’23), the show’s technical director, worked closely with the eight technical departments and overlooked the whole show. “The process of putting together our Drama Club show is lots and lots of writing and revising and then speeding through blocking and technical elements. It’s fun, but it’s certainly stressful at times,” said Pearson. 

Amid stressful exam weeks, the show was a respite for the company and the audience. “It’s great to be able to take a break from all things academic and be able to work to put on a funny show with our company. It’s important to be able to decompress and laugh once the school day ends, even if you are stuck here for another two and a half hours,” said Pearson.

Given only three weeks to organize the show, the cast and crew worked diligently and resourcefully. Kat Walker (’26), who plays Lark, stated, “It’s very chaotic in the beginning with so much happening with each department doing their own things. Actors are trying to learn lines and blocking, and tech is figuring out all of their stuff, but slowly you can see everything starting to come together. Eventually, you show up to rehearsal, and everything clicks, and you think, ‘Hey, we have a show.'”

“Regardless of the time and budget restraints, the company still had fun and perfectly delivered the show. It’s really funny, and that element lets the audience escape and laugh at Falcon, Lark, and Dodo’s shenanigans,” states Walker.

Contrary to regular company shows, Jury Duty was entirely student made. From the story to everything presented on stage, members of the cast and crew independently composed this show. 

Nathaniel Thompson (’24) felt free to experiment without the pressures of a regular show. “Normally, I wouldn’t do makeup and hair for a large-scale Green Hope production, but this production gives me both the freedom and atmosphere to feel comfortable doing hair and makeup.”

From the humor to the courtroom visuals, the company provided an interactive escape for the audience. The performance was also an amusing ending for the GH Theater Company’s year.