Sorkin hasn’t killed this Mockingbird – he’s transformed it into a gripping piece of theatre
To Kill a Mockingbird Shubert Theatre, New York
The new stage production of To
Kill a Mockingbird is one of the most contentious in recent Broadway history. The adaptation, by Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) of Harper Lee’s classic 1960 novel, was the subject of a lawsuit by Lee’s estate. They objected to some of the changes made to her famous characters, particularly lawyer Atticus Finch – that pillar of dignity and justice who defends a black man accused of raping a white woman in the segregated American South of the Thirties. Producer Scott Rudin countersued, and a resolution was reached before it came to trial. The result is a gripping, deeply moving piece of theatre.
Sorkin’s radical changes are apparent from the start. While Lee’s novel takes its time introducing widower Atticus (played by Jeff Daniels) and his children, Jem and Scout, the play begins with the trial of Tom Robinson (Gbenga Akinnagbe) and then flashes back to the events leading up to it. Dramatically, this gives the play a terrific sense of drive.
Another major revision lies in the development of Calpurnia, the Finches’ African-american housekeeper, here played by Latanya Richardson Jackson. The lawsuit from Lee’s estate asserted that Calpurnia now sounded too contemporary, and certainly she is far more assertive here. “I believe in being respectful,” says Atticus. “No matter who you’re disrespecting by doin’ it,” is her tart reply.
Exchanges such as these may strive too hard for modern relevance, but Sorkin has driven this tale down new roads without lessening the power of Lee’s story of justice, morality and race. He is ably assisted by Daniels in the role of Atticus Finch, now closer to Lee’s original vision. The high point comes when Atticus proclaims it is “a sin to kill a mockingbird”. Daniels lets just enough anger poke through Atticus’s even-tempered veneer to show his frustrations with the judicial system and the fact that his ideals are out of step with the local community.
This gracefully directed production (by Bartlett Sher) has several neat conceits, one of which is to cast adults in the children’s roles: Celia Keenanbolger, Will Pullen and Gideon Glick, all of whom take on narrating duties during the show. It could be confusing but the performances are winning enough to carry it through.
To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the greatest books in the English language. Sorkin’s vigorous version, arriving at a time when America is at its most ethnically divided in decades, fully demonstrates why it is still a necessary work.
Until September 8, 2019. Tickets: lct.org/ shows/kill-mockingbird