'Mockingbird' Sings Songs of Life
RLT Production Stays True to Heart of Harper Lee Classic
This article was published on Thursday, September 13, 2007 7:17 PM CDT in Entertainment
By Becca Bacon Martin
THE MORNING NEWS
You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.
-- Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird"
Author Nelle Harper Lee, born in 1926 in Monroeville, Ala., grew up walking in the shoes of the characters she later created. Her father, an attorney, was almost certainly the inspiration for Atticus Finch, the high-minded hero of "To Kill a Mockingbird." She learned about racial prejudice from the 1931 "Scottsboro incident" that saw nine young black men brought to trial for the alleged rape of two white women. And Lee herself was the tomboy who became Scout, the narrator of her Pulitzer Prize-winning book.
Like the novel, the play -- on stage this weekend at Rogers Little Theater -- walks the line between two stories: The unusual relationship Scout and her brother, Jem, have forged with the mysterious neighborhood recluse Boo Radley and the repercussions of Atticus' decision to defend an African-American man, Tom Robinson, accused of raping a poor white woman. The themes run deep -- the coexistence of good and evil; the importance of moral education; social class -- and are often summed up by scholars in one of Scout's monologues:
"'Remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.' That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it. 'Your father's right,' she said. 'Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy, but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.'"
Presenting "To Kill a Mockingbird" brings with it its own double-edged legacy, says Rick Pierson, director of the RLT production.
"Sometimes you can read a play and see the flow and movement in your head so clearly it's almost scary," he says. "'To Kill a Mockingbird' is one of those plays.
"When I read the script, there was such a range of emotion from the characters, I wanted to bring it to life for others to see. The topics were so strong and timeless I couldn't think of a show I would rather do."
But Pierson is also acutely aware that the 1962 film starring Gregory Peck has shaped the story for generations of viewers.
"Most baby boomers have seen Gregory Peck in the movie version and come expecting to see someone trying to be Gregory Peck instead of trying to be Atticus Finch," he says. "Any time you do a play that has already been a successful movie, you run into this problem. I had the same problem when I directed 'A Few Good Men.' Ed McClure was no Jack Nicholson, but he did a great Col. Jessup."
Actor Jim Olmstead has approached the character with its challenges in mind, too.
"Gregory Peck portrayed Atticus in a way that, I feel, can never be duplicated, nor would I try to do so," he says. "The appeal to me was to create my vision of Atticus and have that be true to what Harper Lee presented in the novel."
Performances of "To Kill a Mockingbird" are set for 8 p.m. today and Saturday, again at 8 p.m. Sept. 20-22 and Sept. 27-29 and at 2 p.m. Sept. 30. Tickets are available for a preshow dinner and the play at $40 per person. Show-only tickets with balcony seating are $15 for adults and $7.50 for children 12 and under and all students with valid IDs. A $2 per seat surcharge will be used to retire the renovation debt on the Victory Theater. Reservations may be made by calling 631-8988.
Here, director Pierson; Olmstead; and Elizabeth Kissinger, who plays the children's closest adult friend, Miss Maudie Atkinson, talk about the play and its rewards:
Q. Why "To Kill a Mockingbird"? What appealed to you as an actor or director?
Olmstead: It has much to say about America at that time, and most of what it says still applies today.
Kissinger: Bigotry, in all forms, is still too shamefully present in our society. I was raised in Georgia and faced a much milder racism than Scout, but it was still visible and hurtful. Even as a child, I knew it was wrong. "To Kill a Mockingbird," one of my favorite stories of all time, offers a timeless message which needs to be shared, and I want to help share that message.
Q. How is tackling a classic like "Mockingbird" different from doing any other show -- or is it?
Olmstead: I prepare for any role in much the same way: First you have to learn the lines, and that frees you to create the character. "Mockingbird" may be a little different, in that you have to be true to the time and the atmosphere of the time that it portrays.
Kissinger: Honestly, I haven't acted before in a full production such as this, so I can't note such similarities or comparisons. My only concern is that there will be too many preconceived ideas, based on the movie, as to what we (the characters) are to be like. I don't want people thinking about Gregory Peck (the movie Atticus) or Mary Badham (the movie Scout); I just want the audience to be able to fully focus on and enjoy the characters and story that we will offer.
Q. How do you help audiences understand and relate to the time period and the differences in life and culture?
Pierson: The look of the set, the wardrobe, the lighting, they all come together to create a great experience for the audience.
Q. What's your favorite line or scene from the show?
Pierson: The last line of the show, delivered by Atticus. "Most people are, Scout, once we finally see them." You'll have to come to see the show to understand why.
Kissinger: I really like the scene when Dill is trying to help Scout understand his plan to get the reclusive Boo Radley to come out of his house simply using lemon drops -- and Dill's interaction with Atticus that follows. Maybe I like it because it is a sweet, naive and light-hearted scene.
Olmstead: My favorite scene is probably the summation to the jury. Atticus has done his best to defend his client and must try to convince the jury to set aside their prejudices and do the correct thing. I think that he truly believes in the basic goodness of people and prays that he's right. One of my favorite lines comes earlier in the show, when Atticus tells Scout that "no matter how bitter things get, they're still our friends, and this is still our home."
Q. What do you hope audience members take away from the show?'
Kissinger: I hope people will see that we worked hard to present a wonderful story with a powerful message. I also hope this story opens up honest dialogue between people's own family members and amongst friends to truly talk about, look within, and honestly assess their own thoughts and feelings about their personal prejudices towards others. We all, in some form or fashion, suffer with feelings of bigotry towards others whether we want to admit it or not. Maybe it isn't Boo Radley or Tom Robinson. Maybe it is the guy standing on the street corner begging for money or the kid that dresses "funny" at school.
Olmstead: I would hope that the audience comes away from the show with the same basic belief that motivates Atticus: "They trust him to do right." If we would all do right, this country and world would have far fewer problems and a much greater respect for the rights of others.
Pierson: Prejudice is an ugly beast. We've come a long way since 1935, but we still have a long way to go.
On Stage
'To Kill a Mockingbird'
Dates: Today, Saturday, Sept. 20-22 and Sept. 27-30
Showtimes: 8 p.m. except Sept. 30, when the matinee begins at 2 p.m.
Venue: Rogers Little Theater's Victory Theater in downtown Rogers
Admission: Tickets are available for a preshow dinner and the play at $40 per person; show-only tickets with balcony seating are $15 for adults and $7.50 for children 12 and under and all students with valid IDs (A $2 per seat surcharge will be used to retire the renovation debt on the Victory Theater)
For reservations, call 631-8988.
Playbill
'To Kill a Mockingbird'
The Cast: Jax Ball as Scout; Reid Cole as Jem; Jim Olmstead as Atticus; Karie Harrison as Calpurnia; Jacob Kissinger as Dill; Elizabeth Kissinger as Miss Maudie; Marshall Williams and Fred Allen as the Rev. Sykes; with Aaron Close, Jim Farinelli, Hope Holmes, Charlie Riedmueller, Melisa Wilson, Justin Stewart, Jon Comstock, Rick Pierson, John Honey, Tom Pyron, Alisha Bhaumik, Jack Wilson, Steve West, Veronica Huff, Ann Allen, Mary Williams and Ben Carr
Director: Rick Pierson with Charlie Riedmueller, assistant director, and Mike Manning, technical director
