Aguascalientes, Ags., March 30, 2023.— The theater workshop for students and adults presented the play “12 Angry Men” in early March.
Theater Workshop
“After my daughter took part in the production of *Les Misérables*—staged by the UP last year—and seeing and experiencing the theater atmosphere firsthand, I wanted to have that experience too,” said Javier Casillas, an engineering alumnus from our Aguascalientes campus, when he signed up for the first theater workshop for adults.
The senior theater workshop began in September 2022 under the direction of Professor Rafael Paniagua, organized by the Department of Art and Culture, with the aim of bringing theater to our alumni and adults and continuing to contribute to cultural outreach and artistic development in the state of Aguascalientes.
12 People in a Fight
The workshop concluded with a performance of the play “12 People in Conflict,” based on Reginald Rose’s “Twelve Angry Men.”
The students performed the play on March 4 and 5 at the Antonio Leal y Romero Theater, giving four performances, and on March 10 and 11 at the Aguascalientes Museum, where they gave another four performances, reaching an audience of more than 800 people, who, on more than one occasion, rewarded their work with standing ovations.
“I can’t believe this is the first time some of them have performed on stage; their performance is very natural and excellent,” said one of the audience members.
“It was a rewarding experience in many ways… You can discover things about yourself that you didn’t know,” said Emilio Balderas, an industrial engineer who played Juror No. 3.
“Connecting with our emotions was very important; it was really helpful to me and helped me grow,” said Gerardo Ballesteros, a teacher and member of the fourth jury for the play.
The workshop covered various techniques related to acting, introspection, analysis, memory, creativity, confidence, camaraderie, and teamwork.
The presentations featured distinguished guests with long and distinguished careers in theater in our state: Julieta Orduña, Miryam Almanza, and Abdallá Téllez, who presented awards to each of the participants.
The second edition of this workshop will take place in August 2023. If you’d like to see how the event went, we invite you to watch this video:
