Legal claim halts ‘Mockingbird’ shows

Producer says he bought worldwide rights from Lee

Dozens of community and nonprofit theaters across the U.S. have been forced to abandon productions of “To Kill a Mockingbird” under legal threat by Broadway and Hollywood producer Scott Rudin. The combative move has prompted calls for a boycott of Rudin’s work.

Rudin is arguing that author Harper Lee signed over to him exclusive worldwide rights to the title of the novel and that Rudin’s current adaptation on Broadway — written by Aaron Sorkin — is the only version allowed to be performed.

That means different adaptations have had to be scuttled in such small venues as the Grand Theatre in Salt Lake City; Mugford Street Players in Marblehead, Massachusetts; and the Kavinoky Theatre in Buffalo, New York, as well as a planned United Kingdom and Ireland tour. They had licensed the rights for a different version, written by Christopher Sergel.

Rudin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Anger over the move has triggered an online revolt using the rallying cry #Boycottrudinplays. Chris Peterson, founder of the Onstage Blog, wants ticket buyers to steer clear of all current and upcoming Rudin productions on Broadway, including “Hilary and Clinton,” “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus,” “King Lear,” “The Ferryman” and “The Book of Mormon.”the all-volunteer Curtain Call Theatre in Braintree, Mass., said it received a letter threatening damages of up to $150,000, a staggering amount for a venue where tickets for plays are $20 and $25 for musicals.