By Janice Tran
To Kill a Mockingbird is a piece of literature that anyone in North America with a high school diploma should be familiar with. Over 30 million copies of Harper Lee’s original novel have been sold since its publication in 1960. The book has won countless literary awards, among which is the prestigious Pulitzer Prize. Even the 1962 film adaptation of the novel won three Golden Globes and was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, winning three. In short, the novel is a monumental piece of literature that has hailed a great deal of acclaim and esteem from the critics and its devout readers.
All this means a hell of a lot of pressure for amateur theatre company, Workshop Theatre. The community theatre group continues its 38th season with Christopher Sergel’s stage adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird. There is no doubt that the success of this week’s performances will rest on whether Workshop Theatre can uphold the expectations of the skeptical audience members that are enthusiasts of the novel.
Director Simon Mallett does a great job of maintaining the Deep South atmosphere of Alabama the original story takes place in. Mallet also does an impressive job of making the actors work effectively within the confines of the closet-size stage and only a handful of props.
The actors, for the most part, put on great performances. The story centres on the experience of a six-year-old girl named Jean Louise Finch (Natalie Mack) and her two childhood companions, brother Jem Finch (Idan Wolach) and Dill Harris (Mike Smith). The three child actors play a crucial role in the delivery of the play and their performances were the production’s only noticeable weakness. It seems the Alabama drawl was what all three child actors had a difficult time grasping. Aside from the accent, their acting prowess was appropriate considering their age and level of experience.
Jerry Callaghan, playing attorney Atticus Finch, puts on an excellent performance. Although he is no Gregory Peck (the Oscar-winning actor did the movie adaptation), Finch’s stern, intellectual and reserved demeanor was portrayed effortlessly by Callaghan. Other cast members putting on amazing performances were Karmin Schmitt, playing rape victim Mayella Ewell, and Bill Baksa as her hick father Bob Ewell. Both actors play the parts with such conviction that one might question if both are actually real hicks kidnapped from a town outside Calgary and forced into theatrical servitude. The play also features some phenomenal singing by Janelle Cooper (Calpurnia) and Derrick Shirley (Reverend Sykes). Their voices played a significant role in establishing the southern presence of the play.
Of course, the production can’t be compared to a big-budget professional theatre company like Theatre Calgary, but the overall presentation was an admirable one considering Workshop Theatre’s size and budget.
To Kill A Mockingbird runs until Sat., Dec. 1 at the Pumphouse Theatre. Tickets are available at www.workshoptheatre.org.