Stageloft enthralls, inspires
with ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’
By Paul Kolas Telegram and Gazette Reviewer
November 7, 2007
STURBRIDGE— It's a daunting task to pay proper respect to Harper
Lee's classic novel onstage, or to brush aside the inevitable comparisons
to its great film adaptation, but Stageloft Repertory Theater’s superbly
realized production of "To Kill a Mockingbird" can deservedly
stand on its own merits.
One can pick at a flaw here and there, but seen as a whole, Saturday
night's performance displayed a conviction and resolve that renders
such petty quibbles irrelevant. Director Edward Cornely triumphantly
reminds us once again of the simple power of Lee's story. And he's
assembled a lustrous cast to populate the sleepy Southern town of
Maycomb, Ala.
Christopher Sergel's adroitly compressed version of Lee's novel,
set in 1935, is intermittently narrated by one of the townspeople,
Maudie Atkinson, played with embracing conviviality by Ellen Cornely.
Maudie also acts as an instructive liaison for the two young protagonists,
Jean Louis ("Scout") and Jeremy ("Jem") Finch,
who are brimming with curiosity and confusion about a world of grownups
both mean and kind. One of the kind ones is their father, Atticus,
called upon to defend a black man against a charge of raping a white
girl. Those who are perceived as being mean, such as the ranting Mrs.
Dubose, are actually lashing out at their own pain, as Jem learns
from Atticus in due time. There are people to be feared, like the
hateful, racist Bob Ewell. There are gentle, reclusive and lonely
souls like Arthur Radley, who are fearfully avoided until a life-saving
deed shatters spurious rumor.
As Scout and Jem come to realize, growing up is fraught with lessons
learned and revelations uncovered. Boo Radley isn’t a bad man after
all, and Atticus was once the best shot in Macon County, and still
is, after he shoots a rabid dog with his astonished children looking
on.
Cornely has coaxed a bundle of excellent performances from his cast,
and a front and center brilliant one from Doug Ingalls as Atticus
Finch. Ingalls plays Finch not as a granite figure of virtue, but
simply a good, honest man trying to raise his children with love and
guidance and treat his fellow citizens with respect and benevolence
— even if it means turning the other cheek (with a droll sense of
humor) in a confrontation with Bob Ewell. Ingalls cuts a quietly commanding
figure in the courtroom scenes, and his summation speech imploring
the jury to “do their duty” is deeply, resoundingly affecting.
Orbiting around this tour de force, Cornely has harvested some refreshing
new faces for Stageloft. Joe Conceison is an absolute wonder as Jem,
possessed with startling emotional range for someone his age. He’s
well complimented by Emmalyn Coates as Scout, who shows ample spunk
belying her tender frame. Conor Provost gives a low-key, wry performance
as their friend Charles Baker Harris (Dill).
On the adult side of the ledger, Rip Pelleton is impressively convincing as Heck
Tate, the town sheriff who has the grim duty of holding racial unrest at bay and
pleading with Atticus to let Boo Radley live in the shadow of anonymity. Frank
Bartucca seethes with frightening venom as Bob Ewell, and Bethany Killeen effectively
cowers and bristles in defiance as his victimized daughter, Mayella. Clark Smith is heartrendingly
tremulous as Tom Robinson, the black man on trial for a crime he didn’t commit. Lisa Johnson
is vigorously and amusingly authoritative as the Finch’s maid, Calpurnia. Robert Latino is
admirably unctuous as the prosecuting lawyer, Mr. Gilmer. Solid work is also turned in by Betty
Kristan (Stephanie Crawford), Cecile d’Entremont (Mrs. Dubose), Cedric Flower (Walter
Cunningham), Dan Weston (Reverend Sykes) and Sam d’Entremont (Judge Taylor). Mark
Axelson, unlike Robert Duvall, actually gets to speak a line in his last-minute appearance as
Mr. Arthur Radley. Ed Cornely’s splendidly functioning set design is a rustic trio of the Finch,
Atkinson and Radley households. Jeremy Woloski and Rich Dussault’s sound work is also
worth mention, the chirping of crickets and dulcet notes of a mockingbird turning the
theater into a torpid and balmy Alabama evening. This is one not to miss.
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