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The current show at 2nd Story Theatre
is Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird" adapted for the stage by
Christopher Sergel. The book was written in 1960 and won the Pulitzer
Prize for fiction in 1961. The well known film version in 1962 starred
Gregory Peck. The show is a coming of age story of the innocence of
childhood. It takes place in the middle of the Depression in Maycomb,
Alabama in 1935. Scout and her brother, Jem take the audience on their
summer of discovery in a neighborhood of eccentrics. From their father,
Atticus Finch, they learn about compassion when a crises of social
conscience rocks their sleepy town. Their father defends a black man
falsely accused of raping a white woman. Her father is a ne'er do well who
lies on the witness stand, gets embarrassed by Atticus and threatens him
and his two children. The children learn about the harsh realities of life
from the unfair verdict of the trial and they also learn from their father
that most people are really nice once you get to know them. This story of
love, courage and family is just as powerful as it was when it was
written back in 1960 with its heartwarming portrayals. Director Mark
Peckham casts this incredibly moving and well written show
extremely well and his 19 member cast shines all night long
especially the three performers playing the Finch family. This masterpiece
of American literature is now a masterpiece of American theatre which
is rewarded with many tears and a thunderous standing ovation. Bravo!
Harper Lee lived through the trial of the Scottsboro Boys. This story
is based on this event in Monroeville, Alabama when she was 5 years
old in 1931 and the character of Scout is based on
her. Mark mixes the comic and dramatic elements of this powerful
epic show perfectly. His blocking and direction sparkles and shines all
night long. Vince Petronio is fantastic as Atticus Finch. The
courtroom scene in Act 2 is splendid as he defends an innocent black man.
Vince's dialogue crackles during this scene, leaving the audience
breathless with its power. He also shows a strong relationship with his
two children in the show and explains to them to really get to know
another person you have to try to live in their skin which helps them
overcome their fear of the unknown. Atticus also shows Jem to have
compassion for the elderly Miss Duboise after he tramples her flowers. Jem
was enraged at her mean behavior to them and Atticus punishes him by
having him read Ivanhoe to her to help ease her pain before she
passes away. A tender moment occurs when Vince hugs his son at this point
in the show. Pretty red haired 10 year old Margaret Durning as
Scout is phenomenal in this role. From her Southern accent to her
excellent line delivery as this young innocent child caught up in the
crazy events of this town. Margaret shows Scout finally understands what
her father taught her about tolerance and befriends Boo who the
children feared as some kind of monster because they had never seen
him.. She is an actress with a great future ahead of her. Equally
stunning is Evan Kinnane, a 13 year old,who is fantastic as the
mischievous, Jem. I reviewed him in "The Miracle Worker" last
year. He recently played Sonny Flood in "Dark at the Top of the
Stairs" showing he can handle comic and dramatic roles at an early
age. Evan also has a great future ahead of him as an actor. Both
these children handle enormous amounts of dialogue with the ease
of well seasoned actors and they command the stage with
their acting prowess during the first act.
Another child actor who does a great job in this show is 10 year
old Arek Schneyer as Dill, the young friend of the
Finches. He garners many laughs as the boy who eggs the
Finch children to bother Boo Radley to find out what
he looks like. Dill becomes upset at the trial and later explains that he
wants to run away and become a clown to make people happy. Paula
Faber does topnotch work as Maudie Atkinson who narrates the show as well
as playing a sympathetic friend of the Finch family. Sheriff Heck Tate is
well played by Eric Behr who played Captain Keller in "The Miracle
Worker". He tries to control the situation about Tom but
fails. The Sheriff redeems himself by saying the villain of the
show killed himself, rescuing Boo in the process. Boo Radley doesn't
appear until near the end of the show and he is played with
quiet warmth and great dignity by Jonathan Jacobs who I last
reviewed as the comic relief in "The Miracle Worker" when he played James
Keller. Boo rescues Jem from the murderous Bob Ewell who is excellently
played by F William Oakes who spouts obscenities and spits on Atticus
during the show. Ewell is a slimy, evil man who threatens to kill
the Finches and beats his daughter but blames it on Tom. His deluded
daughter is well played by Amy Thompson who I last reviewed as Helen
Keller last year. She delivers her hate filled testimony
about Tom with intensity. A nasty person in this show is Mrs.
Dubose, an old, prejudiced woman who is rude to Scout and Jem. She is
wonderfully played by Elizabeth Hallenbeck . The sympathetic maid,
Calpurnia is played by Carolyn Pemberton who tries to guide the
children on the right path of race relations back then and she has a funny
scene when the children went to the trial scaring her to death, she
admonishes them leaving the courtroom and returning to it. Another
sympathetic character is Reverend Sykes played wonderfully by Brad
Greer. The innocent defendant, Tom is played by Jona Cedeno who
gains the audience's sympathy with his heartwarming portrayal and
convincing testimony at the trial. Kudos to everyone who made this a show
to be very proud of. So for a topnotch show of a classic novel, be sure to
catch "To Kill a Mockingbird'' at 2nd Story Theater.
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD ( 19 November to 20
December, 2009)
2nd Story Theater, 28 Market Street, Warren, RI
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