I was blessed to be invited to see To Kill a Mockingbird at Chicago’s Schubert Theater. Starring Richard Thomas and written by Aaron Sorkin we were treated to a powerful classic.
It was fascinating to see how Sorkin dealt with the book and the classic movie. As a play, there are limits to what can be depicted. So the children give a lot of exposition to move the story forward and part with the rabid dog isn’t included.
Richard Thomas is a fine Atticus Finch. It’s hard to measure up to Gregory Peck, but Thomas satisfies. It took me awhile to get past seeing Jen, Scout and Dill played by adults, but in time I accepted it. They all did a good job, though the actress who played Scout’s accent slipped from Southern to New Jersey.
The play ran about three hours due to Sorkin adding a lot. For example, Sorkin added a town drunk character who’s a witness for the defense. The actor was good and his part was interesting, however, the play didn’t need anything more interesting that says what we already know about the story. Another part after the trial was about a psalm and it just wasn’t necessary. It seemed Sorkin didn’t know how much to add or change to make the story “his own.”
The scenery was minimal and other than the jail-like back wall. All the set was on wheels and the cast had a lot of pushing and pulling to do. The set evoked the feel of the Deep South during the Depression.
I thoroughly enjoyed To Kill a Mockingbird despite a few flaws. It’s a shame it’s only here for a week. It does make me reread the novel and rewatch the film.
Mixed Media 