Sarah Adams ('06) was summoned for jury duty, expecting to handle a "who-done-it" trial. She was disappointed.

"It was as if I'd taken a sip of sweet tea -- imagining murder and mystery -- only to realize for some ungodly reason it was just regular tea, and I was sitting in a small courthouse with a loud AC unit and no chance to put on my detective hat," she says.

The experience inspired Adams to co-write and direct Civic Duty, about a newspaper reporter covering a local trial. The film, shot at Denton's Courthouse-on-the-Square, was featured at the Women Texas Film Festival and will be streamed online later this year.

Adams, who was a theatre major before turning to journalism and public relations, also appears in national commercials and award-winning independent films.

"I thoroughly enjoy the process of creating a film, from ideation to bringing it to life on set and all the steps in between," she says. "It's a fun ride."