REVIEW: To Kill A Mockingbird (Kennedy Center)
Preview: To Kill A Mockingbird is certifiably an American classic novel, combining 12 Angry Men-esque courtroom drama with horrific glimpses into the racism that corrupts our society to its core. Now, Aaron Sorkin’s hit adaptation makes its second trip to the Kennedy Center for a limited August run. In the time since it came out, I’ve finally gotten around to watching The West Wing, so now I’m much more familiar with his style; plus, I’ve seen plenty of Bartlett Sher productions, so the expectations were high. Does this Broadway tag-team make or break the Great American Novel?
Acting: Despite some accent hiccups -- the Deep South does not include Australia -- the production is wonderfully cast. Atticus is brought to charming, if not too casual life by Richard Thomas, and joined by the wondrous Maeve Moynihan as his daughter Scout. Scout, whose traditional narrator role has been spliced into thirds across she, Jem, and Dill, still takes a curious approach to the events of the play but is overshadowed in authority by Justin Mark’s Jem. Steven Lee Johnson brings a lot more neurodivergence to the character of Dill; yeah, it has been a few years since I read the book, but I do not recall his behavior teetering on the spectrum as much as the play suggests. Hell, even if it doesn’t, Johnson brings a lot to it and it’s very enjoyable to watch as someone who both is and knows plenty of others who are. Just as entertaining if not under-utilized is Jacqueline Williams’ Calpurnia with her expressive presence and familial deliveries. Conversely, the Ewells are so hauntingly performed by Joey Collins (Bob) and Mariah Lee (Maryella) that I almost met them at the stage door just to give them a piece of my mind. They bring such a grimy, sinister vibe to the sanitized wooden set and were a joy to watch as they soured the attitude of the audience with each second of dialog. 9/10
Book: I won’t go into too much detail about the plot itself, but I will discuss some changes made in the adaptation. The Sorkinization, as it was called when this play premiered, got mixed reviews. I knew we’d be in for a ride when the show started with the trial. What to do about all that tension that the book and film take so much care in building? Yet, I concede; Sorkin’s in media res approach to it had me hooked. It worked much better on stage like this than if it were merely a retelling of the book word-for-word. While the pacing of the show was benefited by this new approach, Sorkin’s classically “witty” writing style was hit or miss. When it hit, it was like watching a particularly good episode of West Wing, but when it missed, it was merely a facsimile of the novel with Marvel Cinematic Universe-level corny writing. Nonetheless I enjoyed what I saw. Sometimes it felt like a disservice to an important piece of American literature, but I was engaged by the acting so much I overlooked some writing that ordinarily would have taken me out of it. 8/10
Production: Bart Sher is one of today’s greatest theatre directors, known particularly for his work with the Lincoln Center but also prolific across many other productions. Perhaps he wasn’t feeling Mockingbird like he did the others? It was difficult and confusing to see how poorly he utilized the space. The Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theatre isn’t a small house by any means, but the sheer volume of it felt cavernous due to how little set pieces are used. Beyond the trial arrangements which feature five-or-so moving bench platforms, the Finch house is playfully used as a multi-layered backdrop for pivotal scenes. That’s about the extent of creative staging. The backdrop of the stage and the wings are tall, with long, dingy, and often shattered windows. I suppose they were going for an aesthetic of a jail, but the space is so big and unused that it feels like a 2008-era Midwestern warehouse. If this piece is ever produced locally, I’d enjoy seeing more creative licenses with direction and art design. 5/10
VisDev: Program design is a broody sepia photograph of an empty courtroom, punctuated by the blood-red, all-caps title of the show and white all-caps credits for the playwright and director. It’s a good look. I like how it exudes an older vibe, but uses modern font choices and lots of dark space to communicate the drama of the piece. Pre-show staging is….wasted. Just a red art nouveau font saying “Fire Curtain” on a canvas curtain. What’s the intention behind this? What is it supposed to signify? It is never clear why the show is hidden like this and it’s frustratingly bad. 4/10
