The Wilson Players are bringing the production “Twelve Angry Jurors” to the Black Box this May.

The play, which follows a jury’s deliberation as they decide the fate of a young boy accused of murdering his father, dives into the criminal justice system and explores themes of truth, perception, and morality.

“The show touches on a different perspective of the justice system we can all benefit from seeing, while also being entertaining. We have people in a room that know nothing of one another or the boy on trial, but it is up to them to decide the boy’s fate. If they choose guilty he dies, if not he may be set free,” said co-director and senior Sierra Johnson. Throughout the play, the issues with the justice system are exposed through the bias each juror holds.

“We wanted to do something that focuses on social issues and we hadn’t really done anything on class, race, and the justice system,” explained stage manager Addie Alexander.

Most of the jurors originally vote against the boy, using their background and experiences to support their choice, while one juror sees that the boy deserves a chance before being sentenced to death, and is the only one to vote “not guilty” in the preliminary vote. Each character brings a unique perspective to the play that is reflected in their commentary and decisions throughout the trial.

The cast of the original play is all men, but Wilson’s cast is made up of both male and female actors. Junior Layla Behbehani explains that one difficulty in playing her part was adapting a “character that was written as a man into a female role,” because of the presumed tendencies of male characters. While it is hard balancing rehearsals and school work Behbehani says that she really enjoys “throwing herself into something,” and the commitment that comes with it.

With a small, student-run theater group and a short amount of time to put the play together, the actors, crew, and directors have been rehearsing everyday after school. Johnson says that one of the most rewarding parts of directing is “watching everyone grow and really adapt to their character. It gets better every rehearsal.”

Come to the Black Box on May 8, 9, and 10 at 7:30 p.m. to see the drama unravel and find out what the jurors decide in this suspenseful production of “Twelve Angry Jurors.”