To Kill A Mockinbird: All Rise - Claire Huss

 Claire Huss

To Kill A Mockingbird

All Rise

Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird finds new life in Aaron Sorkin’s onstage adaptation of the controversial novel. Lee’s story follows the trial of a Black man wrongfully accused of raping a white woman through the perspective of the defendant’s lawyer’s daughter: Scout. However, the play chooses to change the perspective and breaks away from a Scout-centered narrative. The story tackles a heavy topic and frequently uses racial slurs, leading to the book being banned from certain school curriculums. To Kill A Mockingbird, at its core, begs every person who interacts with the story to reconsider their lives and wonder where they would fit in the narrative.

Because of the complexity and weight of the situation presented, To Kill A Mockingbird demands actors who can deliver compelling performances. Nearly every cast member accomplished this, mainly acclaimed actor Richard Thomas as Atticus Finch. Atticus is a character whose moral grounds seem shaky- seeing the good in all people, even those who act with violence and vehemence toward innocent strangers. Yaegel T. Welch as Tom Robinson and Arianna Gayle Stucki as Mayella Ewell were standout actors in the production, particularly electrifying in their courtroom scene, but more on that later. I did not particularly care for Melanie Moore’s portrayal of Scout because of the vocal effect she used with her accent. Her scenes with Atticus were touching, and she nailed the innocent appeal of Scout Finch, but I still felt distracted. The ensemble was particularly effective in all scenes they were in, and I felt the show was highly well-acted.

Back to that courtroom scene comment. Welch and Stucki sent chills down my spine in their courtroom monologues. Though all Mayella seems to do in her scene is scream, I felt that Stucki added nuance and depth to a character that the audience might easily forget. Tom Robinson, played by Welch, built an emotional connection with the audience. You truly felt his pain from how each line pierced your ears, even the most mundane sentence. Tom Robinson begged to be heard, and Welch gave him a new voice. This portrayal of Tom Robinson made it excruciating to listen to the hate spouted by characters such as Bob Ewell, played by Joey Collins. To me, the most significant point of controversy was how nearly every white adult character used the N-word in the show. In the back of my mind, I kept wondering if it is vital for a show this profane to continue to exist in its original form?. The racism of the deep South is represented relatively accurately, but this is a well-known reality to most Americans. So, is it really necessary for this show to continue to be performed widely anymore?

The technical elements of this show were simple but seamless. At first, I was unsure about the vocal underscoring, but as the play progressed, it proved to be eerier. The set pieces comprising the Finch home were beautifully constructed. The effect of a front porch on a sticky-hot summer day in Maycomb was tangible. The costuming, as well, was perfectly tailored to each character. The scene where tech and performers clicked perfectly, however, was the scene where Atticus guards Robinson’s jail cell and is threatened by the Klu Klux Klan. From the sinister hoods over the Klan members’ heads to the ambient light emitted by a lamp to Scout’s childlike voice, all elements come together to form the most poignant and memorable scene from the play. 

Overall, I enjoyed this play and thought the technical crew and actors did it extraordinarily well. To literary scholars and readers, I certainly recommend seeing this show. I also recommend it to theatergoers and any person, so long as they are aware that they may leave the theater with many questions and difficult conversations.