To Kill a Mockingbird

Harper Lee's Pulitzer-Prize winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, now celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of its publication, was brought to the screen in an Academy Award-winning adaptation by Horton Foote in 1962 and was later adapted for the stage by Christopher Sergel. Though over 35 years old, this stage adaptation continues to compel and delight viewers worldwide with its warmth, wit, and wisdom. "To Kill a Mockingbird" that is emotionally rich and well-acted, while remaining very simple and understated. Of course, the story itself is simple.

Audiences find themselves transported to a sleepy Southern town in the 1930s and discover that the issues of that time—prejudice, racism, and human values—are issues of all time. Witness this classic tale unfold and its colorful characters develop as fifteen actors and a crew of seven bring you a compelling performance of To Kill a Mockingbird.

The simpleness of the story is part of its impact, though, as it is told mostly through the eyes of a child -- Scout Finch , a tomboyish girl living in segregated Alabama in 1935. Her dad, Atticus, is a lawyer defending a black man charged with the rape of a white woman -- a crime he clearly did not commit. The racial tensions involved polarize the town, but not to a huge degree -- again, this is through the eyes of a child.

The show still has impact in its finale, though, sneaking up on you with emotion you weren't expecting, what with the near-levity that prevails prior to it. It's a strong show for a theater that seems to get better with each production.