Lakeland Mirror

Issue date: 11/12/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Photo provided by David Neese In this scene Atticus Finch, shotgun raised, earns his children's respect.

Media Credit: Photo provided by David Neese The "To Kill a Mockingbird" cast on stage during the court scene.

Based on the novel by Harper Lee, Lakeland theatre performed "To Kill A Mockingbird" from Thursday, Oct. 29 to Sunday, Nov. 1 in the Bradley Fine Arts building. Though there were a few minor improvements that could have been made, overall the play was a big success.

Set in Maycomb, Alabama in the summer of 1935, "To Kill a Mockingbird" brings the issue of racism to the forefront through the trial of Tom Robinson (Eian West), a black man who was accused of raping Mayella Ewell (Adriana Coopman), a young white girl.

The seriousness of the play and ultimately the issue of racism is made known through narration by Jean Louise Finch (Kirsten Wixon) who told the story from the perspective of her younger self, Scout (Katelyn Gussert). Scout is the daughter of Tom's defense attorney, Atticus Finch (David Neese).

Although the play is rather dark, there was some humor in spots. On opening night, the large audience was not as responsive to the jokes and puns in the dialogue as later crowds. This may have been due to the seriousness of the play.

Although microphones were used, at times, it was hard to hear what was being said by the actors. Part of the problem was due to a flaw in the building of the set. When the actors had to open a door to any of the houses onstage, the doors would creek loudly, making it hard to understand and concentrate on what the actors were saying.

Despite this, the set was a realistic portrayal of the tired old southern town with old houses in the Finch's neighborhood. One of the most interesting changes in the set was the court scene. The original set was transformed into a court room by adding benches, chairs, and a witness stand. Extra actors filled in as townspeople who were spectators at the trial.

By no means was the cast disappointing. Katelyn Gussert, Tyler Allen, and Robby Frias as Scout, Jem, and Dill were all cast perfectly and were able to play well off of each other. Each delivered a great performance.

Gussert put on a flawless performance. She had an impeccable accent, diction, and articulation in her delivery of lines. She stayed in character throughout the whole play; her mannerisms, timing, and poise were always on key. She captured the essence of Scout, showing the audience the growth of her character as the plot of the play progressed.

Stepping into the spotlight for the first time, playing the role of Jeremy Atticus "Jem" Finch, Allen never slipped out of character, and he was paired well with Gussert to give a realistic image of a brother and sister relationship.

Playing the role of Charles Baker "Dill" Harris, childhood friend of Jem and Scout, Frias delivered his lines clearly and played off of his fellow actors very well, portraying the true friendship between Jem, Scout, and himself.

Neese put on a stunning performance as Atticus. Through his characters' dialogue and gentle-natured soul, he was able to portray the role of father perfectly, while still being able to jump into the role of attorney with ease.

A couple of fresh faces on Lakeland's stage were Brad Dunn and Julia Williams. Williams delivered a solid performance as Mrs. Dubose, a neighbor of the Finch family. Dunn and Joseph Janisch played well off each other during the court scene as Judge Taylor and prosecuting attorney Mr. Gilmer, respectively.

This production was definitely one of the best that I have seen performed by Lakeland College theatre. Overall, there was a very positive turnout.

Assistant Professor of Theater Charlie Krebs said, "I think that it is a story that a lot of people can relate to and that certainly students here at Lakeland can relate to having read the novel, and I think that it brings up some issues that our society still needs to work out.

"One of the things that I am hoping that people can learn from the play is tolerance of other people who aren't like them and before we judge other people to try and see what it's like to live in their shoes."

Next on the list of productions is Christmas at Lakeland, Dec. 5 and 6, as well as the musical "Chicago" in spring 2010.

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