Group eager to stage Mockingbird play

A new group is seeking rights to produce a stage version of To Kill a Mockingbird in the hometown of author Harper Lee.

An actor in the play, Connie Baggett, said Friday the goal is to keep the play going in Monroeville for the benefit of the community.

Illinois-based Dramatic Publishing Co. is refusing to sell performance rights beyond this year to the group that has staged the play for years, the Monroe County Heritage Museum. The museum has been involved in legal disputes with Lee in the past.

Baggett says the new group will be a locally based non-profit. The play is produced at the old courthouse and was the model for the movie. It’s in its 26th season. The performances this month and next are sold out.