I have trouble imagining a more daunting endeavor than taking the beloved, vaunted, prescient words of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and putting them into the form of a play. Then to have to cast these iconic and utterly familiar characters presents a whole other hairball of a challenge. Well, thank goodness there are brave people in this world, because seeing To Kill a Mockingbird on stage was a dream come true – a dream I didn’t even know I had!
It was such a pleasure to be transported to sultry Alabama and simultaneously to my 12-year old brain that has long treasured the relationship between Scout and Boo. It was like an afternoon story time – with a story thoughtfully, powerfully and lovingly pieced together by it’s charming narrators: Scout, Dill, and Jem. The adults cast as these wise beyond their years’ children endearingly and believably pull off these youthful roles.
There is so much to love about this play – or is there just so much to love about this book and its beloved characters? I forgot how much I loved Dill! This play literally makes these characters come to life – does the play win just because of this? I don’t know! But I do know that Jeff Daniels was, in fact, Atticus Finch personified on stage with every drawn-out drawl and carefully considered prudent utterance. He enveloped this persona of integrity and goodness as easily as one tosses on their favorite and most comfortable sweater. And the winsome and loveable trio of Scout, Dill, and Jem kept the story moving and the viewer informed and even laughing.
My favorite part of the book was the magical nook in the tree where Scout kept encountering her secret treasures. As a child I so wanted to have a tree that bestowed gifts on me. I never did get that tree, but seeing this treasure of a book come to life and being re-connected with these protagonists and the array of sage and apt words they share with us was gift enough to me. I just had to wait 39 years for it!
Grab your group and go sit and spend time with these characters. A new bank of tickets was JUST released grab them while you can.
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