To Kill a Mockingbird
Written by Aaron Sorkin
Directed by Bartlett Sher
Sam S. Shubert Theatre
June 11, 2019
Production website
💉💉 out of 5.

I am not sure why I went to the theatre to experience this story.  It was such a warm, wonderful read, but such a flat, lifeless play.  Why did they need to use the stage for this?  Isn’t the book enough?  I really don’t think that this show would have made any sense to someone who hadn’t read the book (which, gratefully, I am sure is not many).  I know it must be difficult to condense something so rich to the stage – but as I said before – then why would you?

The majority of the students that I was with were really disappointed that the play had little interest in telling the coming-of-age story of Scout.  That which was the core of the novel was not set up at all – nor did it have any resolution.  I in fact was wondering why there were three “children” walking around and through the courtroom scenes.  It seemed more odd than insightful. 

I think that what the adapter wanted to do with this story is to focus on the racial issues and the trial at the cost of the rest of the storylines.  The trial was quite compelling.  The rest was not. 

When I read the book, I loved the mystery of the neighbor, Boo Radley, and his mysterious story that becomes clear and powerful at the stories end.  In this stage production, when Boo walks into the house at the end – I had no idea who he even was – just some strange man in the room.  

I just think that this is an example of an edit that did more damage than good.  If this much surgery is needed perhaps it best to find another patient.