Review: Compelling, Eloquent TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD Shines at Trinity Rep

More than fifty years after its publication, Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning To Kill a Mockingbird remains at the very core of twenty-first century culture. Lauded as a masterwork of literature, Mockingbird still tops international best-seller lists and is required reading in classrooms across America. Some have heralded it as the greatest novel of all time. The 1962 film starring Gregory Peck stands as a cinematic classic, beloved of critics and audiences alike. And stage productions, such as the excellent adaptation now playing at Trinity Repertory Company, prove both how deeply the story of Atticus and Scout, Boo Radley and Tom Robinson is woven into the fabric of society and how resonant To Kill a Mockingbird remains in today's world.

Trinity's outstanding staging tells Lee's story in powerful form. Tom Robinson, a black man, is falsely accused of raping a white woman. Though evidence and testimony clearly show Robinson's innocence, no jury in 1930s Alabama is likely to find in favor of an African-American defendant. Attorney Atticus Finch knows the outcome of the trial before it even begins, and yet he commits every ounce of his expertise and energy to building his client's case. Atticus' children, Scout and Jem, along with their friend Dill, are eyewitnesses as the trial absorbs and divides the town of Maycomb.

Here, creative casting choices play to Trinity's strengths. Adult performers take on the children's parts and key roles (Jem Finch, Mayella Ewell) are compellingly filled by African-American actors. Even more uniquely, each actor steps out of character as the story unfolds, halting the play's action as they relate their own past experiences with prejudice and diversity. Rather than interrupting the flow of the production, these deeply personal recollections punctuate the narrative and underscore the enduring resonance of Mockingbird's central themes.

Director Brian McEleney also places the audience in the thick of the storytelling, with Trinity's upstairs theater seating reconfigured in the round and cast members performing in the aisles. While Michael McGarty's set conveys a classroom atmosphere - wooden desks line the center stage area and classic schoolhouse pendant lights illuminate from the rafters - the actors imaginatively transform the space into the Finch front porch, Mrs. Dubose's flower garden, and a lonely jail cell. Later, as Tom Robinson's trial gets underway, McEleney positions his players to suggest that the audience itself is part of the jury hearing the case.

Stephen Thorne, as Atticus Finch, completes this impression as he addresses his closing arguments to the audience with unwavering passion and utter conviction. Atticus is a man of rare integrity and perception, and Thorne warmly conveys the authenticity of his gentleness of spirit. He also humanizes Atticus throughout the production. Thorne subtly allows the attorney's weariness to seep through at the close of the trial, and he demonstrates the depth of a father's devotion as Atticus' composure finally slips when his children are threatened.

As the ringleader of those children, Angela Brazil sparkles in the role of Scout. She embodies an effervescent, youthful spirit brimming with energy that makes Trinity's unconventional casting ring with genuineness. Brazil captures Scout's tomboyish charm brilliantly and she conveys her character's budding maturity without losing her innocence and optimism.

Jude Sandy's Jem is textbook big brother material - bossy around Scout and Dill but still young enough to crave his father's attention or to be goaded by a silly dare. Sandy relates Jem's tale of reclusive neighbor Boo Radley with horrific relish, and he well expresses Jem's awareness of insult and injustice with a palpable, adolescent frustration.

Mauro Hantman rounds out the trio as Dill, and he makes a worthy third as the children's neighborhood adventures unfold. Hantman delivers his character's introductory line - "I'm Charles Baker Harris. I can read!" - with such endearing, wide-eyed earnestness that the audience is instantly in stitches.

Fred Sullivan, Jr. shows the range of his versatility as he transitions from the sweet-tempered Sheriff Heck Tate to the blood-chillingly sinister Bob Ewell in the space of a minor costume change. David Samuel also impresses in a dual role, as the respected Reverend Sykes and as gentle, ill-fated Tom Robinson. Alexis Green makes the most of Mayella Ewell's complex characterization. While Mayella's deception enables Robinson's false conviction, years of abuse and manipulation are clearly at play as she wrestles her emotions on the witness stand.

Toni Spadafora's costume designs complement each character perfectly, from the turned-up cuffs of Scout's scuffed dungarees to Atticus' conservative three-piece suit. Bob Ewell's unkempt clothing is frayed and marred by sweat stains, while Mayella appears in court in a frock riddled with wrinkles. Byron Winn's lighting design subtly guides the narrative action and is used very effectively to suggest threatening nighttime scenes, both at the tense jailhouse confrontation and more pointedly during Jem and Scout's terrifying walk home through the woods.

Trinity's Mockingbird is unquestionably a must-see performance this spring and, a scarce three months into the new year, can easily be considered in the running for best production of 2016.

To Kill a Mockingbird plays Trinity Repertory Company through April 3, 2016. Ticket prices range from $25-71. Tickets are available online at www.trinityrep.com, by phone (401) 351-4242, or by visiting the box office at 201 Washington Street, Providence, RI.

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Photo by Mark Turek

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