Date: 9-10 May 2013
Location: Monroeville AL
This was an excellent performance by an enormous cast! It must have required some extraordinary directing talent to put this production together.
Nancy and I got to sit in the Grand Jury box for the performance. Bob was summoned to the jury. He told us, though, that those 12 weren’t really allowed to make the final decision. According to the sheriff (one of the cast members), that decision was predetermined. Hmmm
I think everyone in our group had read the book, and I’m sure that gave us a much better understanding of what was going on. The next morning, we all met poolside at the Quality Inn, Evergreen, where Joyce was staying. It was a great meeting. Everybody had input. These are some of the ideas from that meeting:
Expressions used by the characters in the play were extremely accurate — exactly what people in that place and time would have said. For example some children called their parents by their first names. Unexpected, perhaps, but true to the time. Personally, I don’t remember any of my friends ever calling their parents by any name. Just Mom and Dad.
Children played important roles in this story. In fact, much of the story was told from an innocent’s point of view. Although Atticus was fully respected by his children, his working life was a mystery to them. As a lawyer, his activity was completely obscured. Therefore, the kids didn’t expect Atticus to do anything until he shot the mad dog. That really showed that he was a man of action. Of course, more action followed.
Notable irony: When Bob Ewell is called to the witness stand to testify, they call him by his full name, Robert E. Lee Ewell. Mr. Ewell was named after Robert E. Lee, the confederate civil war general. This is interesting because both Ewell and Lee are violent, racist, and end up failing because of it. Another ironic thing is when the children find Atticus sitting outside the jail, protecting Tom Robinson. The Cunninghams storm the jail and tell Atticus something along the lines of, “You know what we’re here for.” Atticus says, “Shh, he’s sleeping.” Then the Cunninghams start to whisper. If you are about to kill someone, are you really going to whisper and let him sleep? The ultimate irony is that Tom Robinson dies when you think that Atticus, being such a good lawyer, would win the case and see that Tom is freed.
Surely the entire audience came away with a strong feeling of prejudice against white trash.
Memorable statements include Atticus’s recommendation that one of the bigots “climb inside of his skin and walk around in it”. He also said “It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. Kill all the blue jays you want, but mockingbirds don’t take anything from you or do anything to you. All they do is sing that beautiful song for you to hear.” In this story, the mad dog was a clear and present danger. Tom Robinson was a mockingbird.
This book is a “must read” and the play was a “must see” as well. By the way, To Kill a Mockingbird movie was on Comcast cable here this week. We watched it. I plan to tell the people in Monroeville that their play was better than the movie.
Looking forward to our meeting in June. By the way, I’m left-handed. I hope that’s not a problem.
— Mike