'To Kill a Mockingbird' play is edgy, poignant adaptation of classic novel
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APPLETON – A courtroom drama, depiction of childhood loss of innocence and portrait of the country's ugly past, "To Kill a Mockingbird" delivers a poignant story sure to linger with audiences long after the curtain closes.
The play is running at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center now through Sunday. Based on the 1960 novel by Harper Lee, this stage adaption was written by Aaron Sorkin, whose film and television writing credits include "The West Wing," "A Few Good Men" and "The Social Network." It premiered on Broadway in 2018 and kicked off its national tour in March 2022.
This week's run in Appleton is the Wisconsin premiere of "To Kill a Mockingbird," and the only time the play is scheduled to come to the state during its run.
The audience was packed for Tuesday night's show. The curtain opened on a minimalistic set with the show's three children — Scout (Maeve Moynihan), Jem (Justin Mark) and Dill (Steven Lee Johnson) — who acted as narrators throughout the duration of the play. The centerpiece of "To Kill a Mockingbird" is the one-day trial of Tom Robinson (Yaegel T. Welch), a Black man who is falsely accused of rape, represented by white lawyer Atticus Finch (Richard Thomas) in 1935 Alabama. The three children, played by adult actors, narrate as the play weaves in and out of the courtroom and scenes from that summer leading up to the trial.
The show's use of adults playing children gives the show's narration a unique juxtaposition of childhood playfulness and mature reflection. It's both funny and striking, and central to the show's theme of losing youthful innocence through experiencing harsh realities of evil in the world.
Fans of the novel and movie will notice some differences in the stage adaptation of "To Kill a Mockingbird." One of the most notable changes is the play's depiction of Atticus Finch. The lawyer is not the same soft-spoken, level-headed figure of virtue as famously portrayed by Gregory Peck in the 1964 film. Thomas' portrayal of Atticus is much more emotional and excitable. He angrily raises his voice during the trial, fearfully yells when Scout, Jem and Dill show up outside the county jail while a mob of townspeople threaten to lynch Tom Robinson, and gets into a physical altercation when his family is threatened.
Added scenes depicting Atticus' interactions outside the presence of his children further take Atticus off the pedestal he is seen in the novel, which is written through Atticus' daughter Scout's perspective. In one scene, Atticus meets with Tom Robinson to convince him to turn down a plea deal and take his case to trial. In another, he has a discussion with Calpurnia in the Finch's kitchen about what he is teaching his children.
Thomas, who is perhaps most well-known for playing the role of John-Boy Walton in the television series "The Waltons," from 1972 through 1977, embraces this demystified version of Atticus with a genuineness that allows the audience to see the iconic character in a new light.
Calpurnia, played by Jacqueline Williams, has also taken on a greatly expanded role in the stage adaptation. As the Finch's cook and mother figure, Calpurnia is present throughout everything, from the build-up to the trial to its aftermath. She voices to Atticus her dissenting opinions, including that she does not agree with Atticus' advice that his children show respect to Bob Ewell, the racist and abusive man responsible for Tom Robinson's false accusation. Williams gives the role a strong personality, as she portrays a Black woman hardened by life in the Depression-era South, but still outspoken about her beliefs. She offers social commentary about treatment of Black people that grimly has parallels in our modern society.
Another standout performance of the night came from Welch's Tom Robinson. While not the largest role in the show, Tom Robinson is the central character to the plot. Welch played the role with a palpable mix of fear, anger, compassion and exhaustion that commanded the stage in every scene he was in.
The stage adaptation of "To Kill a Mockingbird" depicts racism and its devastating impacts on the small Alabama town in an edgier, more explicit way than in the novel or film. It challenges the white savior trope and provides a raw look at the coexistence of good and evil. It's emotional, uplifting and tragic, all at the same time. And the show's moving acting performances and captivating scenic design invite audience members to fully get lost in it all for nearly three hours, and leave the theater with a greater sense of their own purpose.
Tickets for "To Kill a Mockingbird" can be purchased online through Ticketmaster, by phone at 800-982-2787 or through the Fox Cities PAC ticket office in-person or by phone at 920-730-3760. The PAC ticket office is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
Contact Kelli Arseneau at (920) 213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ArseneauKelli.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: 'To Kill a Mockingbird' at Fox Cities Performing Arts Center poignant
