“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is a beloved American novel that was recently adapted into a play on Broadway. It is playing in the Shubert Theater and people of all ages who have read and enjoyed the novel have flocked to the theater to see the stage adaptation. Opening night was December 13, 2018, and there have been a whirlwind of positive reviews. The play is around three hours long with an intermission in the middle. The most apparent difference between the play and the novel is that the well-loved characters, Scout, Jeremy, and Dill, are played by adults instead of children, which makes the play seem more mature. They used Dill as more of a comedic relief to break up the serious issues going on in the play. The biggest challenge for the writer of the play was to present a story that so many people know and love in a unique way, while staying true to the story everyone comes expecting to see.
Although the lessons and morals of the novel were still portrayed beautifully, the way the plot unfolded was different. The story begins in the courtroom scene where they are questioning the people of Maycomb. The play goes between scenes outside of the courtroom and the court case. The writer also changed the plot to make it more fitting to modern times. When the novel was written, it was a much different world, particularly in terms of how open segregation was and how prejudiced people were against other races. In the adaptation, Calpurnia, Atticus’ housekeeper, acts like a mother figure to the kids as opposed to just keeping the house orderly and staying quiet, and also has more of a voice in the play. She helps Atticus think about the point of view of the black people in Maycomb, Alabama. Actor Jeff Daniels’ portrayal of Atticus Finch was masterful and truly captured the essence of this beloved character, both in the courtroom and as a loving father to Scout and Dill. Jeff Daniels’ presence on stage was truly amazing. I would highly recommend this play to students and fans of the novel alike.l
Ellie F.
Published February 2019