Everyone lies - often, even in silence. People lie because the truth hurts too much. Producer Susan Kosoff's presentation of Harper Lee's classic novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a painful reminder of what is lost when fear stifles the truth.
The play, set in Maycomb County, Ala. in the middle of the Great Depression, opens to an elaborate representation of a picturesque Southern neighborhood. Three house fronts complete with balconies, pure white porches and wooden porch swings, comprise the only scenery, apart from a tall graying tree.
A tree separates the decrepit Radley house from the cheerful neighborhood homes. It serves to remind the audience of the reclusive Boo Radley, though the play largely ignores his character in favor of pursuing the theme of truth.
The actors themselves further the picture of classic Southern ambience. The women wear long floral dresses and hide curled hair under straw hats; the men wear suits with crisp white shirts and navy suspenders. A chorus of gospel singers lilts through the scene changes.
On the surface, the town looks idyllic, but Mrs. Dubose, the famed Finch family's neighbor, reminds the audience of the underlying tensions. She calls out, "What is the world coming to when the Finches go against their race!" She alludes, of course, to attorney Atticus Finch representing Tom Robinson, a black man, in a rape trial.
Each actor plays the stereotype of his character and though the characters are likeable, they never move beyond the stereotype in range or shows of emotion. Rather than detracting from the humanness of the play, the stereotypes allow the audience to reflect on the difficulties in amending racist attitudes.
Paul McCallion portrays an angsty Jem, Finch's son, who storms around the stage in too-short overalls with his fists clenched. Eight-year-old Grace Brakeman plays his sister, a sweetly precocious and inquisitive Scout who wears patchwork jeans and her hair pulled into a long blond ponytail. Will Lyman creates a memorable Atticus Finch: ruminative, wise and unyieldingly honorable; he knows he will lose the Robinson case but understands that he must try.
The audience falls in love with the Finch family and the play frequently emphasizes moments when the family is together. When confronted with a rabid dog, Atticus reluctantly picks up a gun to protect Scout and Jem. In the jailhouse scene, where Atticus attempts to guard Tom's cell from the possibility of unjust mob retaliation, the audience sees Atticus's calmness break when his children may be in danger.
Mayella Ewell (played by Laura Morell), the young girl who was raped and Tom Robinson's (Steven Key) skillful contrast strengthens their otherwise predictable characters.
During the trial scene, Mayella sits fearfully secluded through the testimonies, her arms tightly crossed, her lips quivering and her eyes downcast. On the stand, she tearfully recalls her version of the truth, her face perpetually hidden in shame.
Tom, on the other hand, speaks clearly and earnestly, his eyes sharp and forward-facing. He tells the court how he felt sorry for Mayella but makes no appeal to mercy; he yields to the clarity of justice.
Atticus articulately delivers his closing statement in a deep, reassuring baritone. He stands proudly in front of the audience, his eyes squinted in reflective understanding that racism mars the transparency of the truth. "The case is as simple as black and white," he states, and unfortunately for Tom, that is exactly the problem.
The theatrical elements of the play are simple. White lights saturate the stage and illuminate portions of the audience, thereby bringing an element of reality to the performance. The actors cannot hide in the shadows; the audience clearly sees their flaws.
At its heart, "To Kill a Mockingbird" reminds us that truth means recognizing the fallibilities of others. The characters confidently display the ramifications of accepting or ignoring the truth.
Mayella quivers in shame, Scout smiles in her quest for knowledge and Atticus purposefully guides them all.
