Atticus and Boo Radley Teach Timeless Lessons
December 18, 2008
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” This quote from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird sums the entire central idea of the novel in just a few wise words. This year’s winter play, To Kill a Mockingbird, brings the anticipation of every Neuqua Valley production, while also providing a humble message.
“Well, To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favorite books,” said English teacher Aubrey Smith who will be co-directing the play with English teacher Kim Glaser and student directors Laken Edwards and Dondre Keller. “I just wanted to see my favorite book translated on stage.” Last year’s play, Tapestries, similarly centered a premise about African American issues. Yet, while the motifs may seem similar, Smith guaranteed that this winter’s production will be different. “It is a story that is a lot more familiar to Neuqua students,” he said. “Anyone who has matriculated through Neuqua has read it or is reading it. When you get to the underlying moral of the story, the message is prevalent today in 2008 just like it was when the story was set in 1935.” He explained that even with the radical milestones that have taken place today, these issues need to be known.
To make this play unique, the cast members are doing their best to bring personality, life, and dimension to characters that could once be called two-dimensional. “Atticus Finch is arguably the greatest hero in any sort of literary work,” said Senior Ross Cochran who will be playing this father-figure and recognized lawyer in the play. “What I appreciate most about the character is his honesty with himself. He [also] has a certain inquisitive nature about life that is typically reserved for children. I do feel confident that I encompass these attributes of his character well. I’ve had enough personal experience to know how to display these qualities in an appropriate way… [and] this will make Atticus far more human.” Similarly, Senior Grace Robertson feels she will be able to bring personality to wise, witty Mrs. Maudi. “In addition to living up to this great role, I hope to add a personal humanity that will create a warm, loving neighbor, rather than an untouchable, invulnerable adult,” she said. “I know the vision for that the cast and directors have for this play is grand and illustrious, and I hope that the audience will be impacted by this excellent story in a new and different way.” She continued to explain that Ms. Maudi represents the encouragement Atticus receives as well as a mentor to the Finch children, qualities which are important and irreplaceable in human nature.
As always, Neuqua theater hopes To Kill a Mockingbird will be a production which caters to a wide audience, and it is without a doubt that it will. “This play is one that can be considered revolutionary,” Cochran said. “[It] goes beyond an issue of black versus white. It gets into a person’s conscience over standing up for what they believe in.”
By Reema Rao, copy editor
