Farmington Players Open The Season With To Kill A Mockingbird

The Farmington Players are set to present the classic American drama To Kill a Mockingbird.
Set in Alabama during the Great Depression, To Kill a Mockingbird follows the journey of Scout and Jem Finch, whose father has been appointed to defend Tom Robinson, a black man framed for a crime he didn't commit. As the trial progresses, Scout and Jem witness their community in a tense tug of war between justice and racism.

To Kill a Mockingbird compels us to take an honest look at our nation's past and our moral responsibility to each other. It explores the nature of human beings; that is, whether people are essentially good or essentially evil. The moral voice of the story is embodied by the lead character Atticus Finch. He believes that, rather than being simply defined as good or evil, most people have both good and bad characteristics, and the important thing is to appreciate the good qualities and understand the bad qualities by treating others with sympathy and trying to see life from their perspective.

The character of Atticus Finch is being played by Greg Bowman, well known in the Metro Detroit area as both an actor in Community Theater and the daytime voice of news radio WWJ-950. Greg was last seen on the Barn stage playing the role of the lovable bartender Seamus in Mitch Albom' comedy And The Winner Is.

"I'm honored to be able to bring Atticus to life on stage," said Bowman. "I think we would all like to be like him, a real hero and someone who, as the story says, can be trusted to do the right thing."

Playing the role of Scout is the very talented Nina White. Regular patrons of the Barn may remember seeing Nina as young Susan Walker in the holiday classic Miracle on 34th Street, and most recently, Baby June in the musical Gypsy.
When asked about the important lessons that parents can take from this play, director Michael Schacherbauer said, "Our children then and our children today are shaped by our feelings and conversations about race, justice, integrity and equality."
Harper Lee found instant fame after To Kill a Mockingbird was published in 1960. The novel was showered with literary awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961. However, despite her success, Lee never published another novel. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush in 2007.

To Kill a Mockingbird is sponsored by:

Mall Malisow & Cooney, P.C. ? Farmington Hills, Michigan

Estate Planning, ElderCare, and Special Needs Planning Lawyers

To Kill a Mockingbird continues The Farmington Players' 58-year tradition of producing compelling live performances. "The Barn" is a state-of-the art facility that shines as one of the most inviting community theaters in the Detroit area. It also serves as one of the best bargains in the region.

To Kill a Mockingbird will be performed from September 30 through October 22. For more information on The Farmington Players or to purchase tickets, visit www.farmingtonplayers.org or call the box office at 248-553-2955. 

The Farmington Players Present:
Harper Lee's

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Dramatized by Christopher Sergel

September 30 - October 22

248-553-2955

The Farmington Players Barn Theater is located at:

32332 West 12 Mile Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334

(Between Orchard Lake Road and Farmington Road)

Tickets are available at both www.farmingtonplayers.org and the box office at 248-553-2955.
• Adults: $16

• Students: $2 off any performance

• Senior Sunday: $2 off ONLY on October 2

• Thrifty Thursday: $2 off ONLY on October 20

• Group Discounts: $2 off any show with a group of ten or more people.

Show Dates
• Friday, September 30 - 8:00 pm (Opening Night) **Special Afterglow**

• Saturday, October 1 - 8:00 pm

• Sunday, October 2 - 2:00 pm (Seniors $2 Off)

• Friday, October 7 - 8:00 pm

• Saturday, October 8 - 8:00 pm

• Sunday, October 9 - 2:00 pm

• Friday, October 14 - 8:00 pm

• Saturday, October 15 - 8:00 pm

• Sunday, October 16 - 2:00 pm

• Thursday, October 20 - 2:00 pm ($2 Off)

• Friday, October 21 - 8:00 pm

• Saturday, October 22 - 8:00 pm

CAST

Jean Louise Finch Kandi Krumins Farmington Hills

Scout Nina White Gross Pointe Park

Taunting Boy Ben Lauter Farmington Hills

Miss Maudie Atkinson Pat Rodgers Novi

Calpurnia Vanessa Davis Novi

Heck Tate Rick Mickley Keego Harbor

Judge Taylor Dennis Broadhead Royal Oak

Miss Stephanie Crawford Blythe Philp Royal Oak

Mrs. Dubose Corinna Weber Farmington Hills

Townsperson/Nurse Linda Weingarten Wixom

Jem Patrick Vietor Farmington Hills

Reverend Sykes Grover McCants Detroit

Mayella Ewell Alissa Nordmoe Detroit

Bob Ewell Dan Muldoon Madison Heights

Dill Nicholas Zupancic Bloomfield Township

Nathan Radley/Boo Radley Dave Ewick Southfield

Atticus Finch Greg Bowman Ferndale

Walter Cunningham Jim Moll Farmington Hills

Townsperson/Court Clerk Steve White Plymouth

Townsperson Jeff Zupancic Bloomfield Township

Townsperson/Link Deas Tony Semanik West Bloomfield

Tom Robinson James Hodges Pontiac

Mr. Horace Gilmer A. Guy Copland Berkley

Helen Robinson Camille Jamerson Southfield

Townsperson Elizabeth Hemmingway Romulus

Townsperson Adrienne Kelly-Webb Farmington

CREW

Director Michael Schacherbauer Plymouth
Assistant Director Tony Targan West Bloomfield
Producer Amy Lauter Farmington Hills
Technical Director Tim Timmer Wayne

Stage Manager Dave Gilkes Farmington Hills

About The Farmington Players:

You can find The Farmington Players at farmingtonplayers.org and also on Facebook. The Barn began as an off-shoot of the American Association of University Women. Their first production, The Torchbearers, was performed at a local church. After performing in various city and educational locations, The Farmington Players moved into an old dairy barn located on the site of their present facility on West Twelve Mile Road.

Initially, productions were staged downstairs on a dirt floor. Over the years, improvements to the original Barn transformed it into a more finished space, with the theater itself eventually moving upstairs into a traditional and finished setting.

Since 1953, The Farmington Players have staged more than 185 different musicals, dramas, mysteries and comedies, all as a community theater with 100% volunteer membership.

People from Farmington, Farmington Hills and beyond have come to recognize the group as a true community resource. Since the completion of its state-of-the-art facility in 2003, The Farmington Players Barn Theater has expanded its mission, serving as the site for city-sponsored events such as youth theater camps in the summer, concerts with groups as varied as Blackthorn and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and as a meeting place for various groups.

The Farmington Players have been saving money over the years to enhance the onstage experience at The Barn. In November, 2009 they installed a new rigging system in the vast fly space. Show Directors are thrilled to finally have the ability to fly in flats and use drops to set scenes in a matter of seconds.

The Farmington Players Barn is located at 32332 West Twelve Mile Road, Farmington Hills on the north side of Twelve Mile Road, halfway between Orchard Lake Rd. and Farmington Rd.

Photo by Tom Bigwood

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