Culture Writer
Full confesssion: somehow, I managed to get through 42-plus years of American life without reading the classic novel (or seeing the classic film version of) To Kill a Mockingbird.
I’d heard that the film version with Gregory Peck is a shining example of a movie adapted from a book that’s also just as good as the book. I’d even attended the special ceremony at the Performing Arts Center a few years back when Mockingbird was the one to read for “Long Beach Reads One Book,” an event that featured actors and the composer from the film. I’d also seen (and enjoyed) the movie Capote, in which Catherine Keener portrays the book’s author, Harper Lee.
But the extent of my experience with the book ends there, believe it or not.
Therefore, I was eager to see the Long Beach Playhouse’s production of To Kill a Mockingbird, which is being presented on its mainstage now through Nov. 19. The way I saw it, a staged version of the story, done by a playhouse whose productions I’ve come to appreciate and admire over the years, would be an ideal way to be introduced to this classic story.
Well, “ideal” might not be the word, but, as a whole, the production is compelling and moves along at a brisk and effective pace, with rarely a dull moment.
Though all the child performers were charismatic, some lessons in enunciation might be useful in this case; there were numerous instances in which I simply could not understand what was being said, unfortunately.
However, aside from the distraction of a dog that seemed to be barking from backstage, I have no further complaints. (I’d thought that perhaps the canine was that of some neighbors of the Playhouse, so I wasn’t going to mention it in this review, but then I saw a dog in the press photo that includes the entire cast and crew. It’s a bit of a mystery, I suppose.)
Peter Stone is gently commanding in his subtle but solid performance as Atticus Finch, the upstanding, peacekeeping attorney who takes on the case to defend Tom Robinson, the soft-spoken black man who has been accused of raping Mayella Ewell, an uneducated, sheltered white woman. She is played by Callie Prendiville, who is equally as impressive and, like Stone, gives an understated, convincing performance, letting her discomfort and misery fester just beneath the surface. Her father is brought to life by Bob Fetes, who, I admit, sort of rubbed me the wrong way in the Playhouse’s Lutz Radio Hour two years ago, as the abrasive television director. In all fairness, though, it was hard to tell how much of the annoyance was the character and how much of it was the actor. Here, however, Fetes is unquestionably well cast; he seethes and squirms, imbuing the unlikeable character with just the right amount of despicability.
Of particular interest is child actor Robert Angel as Dill. There’s something so natural and “in the moment” about the way he engages his surroundings and interacts with the other actors, with fleeting eye contact and even a yawn that surely wasn’t planned but nonetheless fit the character and showed he was just “being” the part rather than acting the part.
Behind the scenes, Donna Fritsche has once again exquisitely dressed actors in costumes that are simultaneously appropriate and non-distracting. Kudos to her keen sense of wardrobe.
To those who are already familiar with Lee’s Pulitzer-winning work of fiction, I’d certainly recommend this production. But, for the unitiated, like me, (both of you) who must hang on every word to get the full story, a reading of the classic beforehand may be advisable.
To Kill a Mockingbird will continue through Nov. 19, with performances at 8pm Thursday through Saturday and at 2pm on Sundays. Admission is $24 for adults, $21 for seniors, $14 for students, and $8 for Long Beach Unified School District students with ID. Visit lbplayhouse.org or call (562) 494-1014 for more information
