Photo images for "To Kill a Mockingbird"

High resolution photos are available below for The Western Stage's production of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Most are approximately 5" x 7" at 300 dpi. Just right click (or Control click for Mac) the thumbnail to download the full photo.

Return to Press page.

Photo credit: To Kill a Mockingbird, courtesy The Western Stage, 2010. Photo by Richard Green.
Actors pictured below: David Parker - "Atticus Finch" (adult); Morgan Melendez - "Scout" (girl); Thomas Perry / "Jem" (boy)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 29, 2010
CONTACT: Melissa Chin-Parker, (831) 770-7088
E-MAIL: mchin@hartnell.edu
AUTHOR: Written by Daniel Tarker, TWS Writer
PHOTOS: Click for high resolution photos.
SUPPLEMENTAL ARTICLE: A Portrait of Harper Lee by Daniel Tarker (click title to download Adobe Acrobat pdf)
CAST LIST: Download cast list (Acrobat pdf).

To Kill a Mockingbird Opens TWS Season

The Western Stage begins its 36th season with Harper Lee’s beloved classic “To Kill a Mockingbird,” adapted by Christopher Sergel. The greatest coming of age story in American literature still has something to teach us all about what it means to be courageous. The show runs June 4th – 27th in the Studio Theater, Hartnell College Performing Arts Building. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Season tickets are always the best option. Reserve your seats through The Western Stage ticket office at (831) 755-6816 or online at westernstage.com. For group sales, contact Ron Cacas at (831) 759-6012. (103 Word PSA)

As we emerge from a decade characterized by a parade of fearful issues — fear of terrorism, war, race, illegal immigration, and politics — there is probably no better time to revisit a story like Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” In all of American literature, no figure exemplifies the strong character and will to stand tall against fear and hatred than Atticus Finch, the idealistic lawyer at the center of her novel. Through the eyes of his children, Scout and Jem, we, too, learn through Atticus how to face the horrors of the adult world with grace and dignity — and maybe likewise learn what it means to be an adult.

Adapted for the stage by Christopher Sergel, this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel comes to life at The Western Stage beginning June 4 in the Studio Theater of the Hartnell College Performing Arts Building. Performances run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through June 27.

Set in Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression, this coming of age story is as gothic as it is poignant and at times enraging. When a poor black man is accused of raping a young white woman, Atticus Finch is appointed by the judge to defend him, much to the displeasure of his neighbors, who would like nothing more than to see an expedited lynching. Although his two children do not think of their widower father as a terribly exciting or dynamic man, they soon learn otherwise as they watch him confront rabid anger in a myriad of unsavory forms, from the frenzy of a pit bull to the fury of the Ku Klux Klan. Even as he tries a court case he is all but guaranteed to lose, Atticus’ quiet dignity and strength becomes an example to his children.

As Director Jeff McGrath notes, the story is about becoming an adult. “It’s about how you raise a child and infuse morality.” While the court case is the centerpiece of the story, Atticus’ every interaction with his children continually reinforces the theme that the key to overcoming our fears is to understand those around us — especially those who may be strange or different. The mysterious Boo Radley is the ultimate embodiment of this lesson. Shy and reclusive by nature, Boo becomes the local boogeyman for the children, a creepy and scary monster of a man living right next door. Yet, as McGrath points out, he ends up being the hero of the story. “The thing that we are scared of the most ends up saving us.”

Based loosely on actual events in Harper Lee’s life growing up in the small town of Monroeville, Alabama, this masterpiece went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in Literature and inspire the Academy Award-winning film starring Gregory Peck. Although Lee had moved to New York City to become a writer, the overwhelming success of the novel was quite shocking to her, which ultimately led her to move back to Alabama and live the life of a recluse with her sister. Only in recent years has Lee, now in her 80s, made public appearances and granted a few interviews to the public.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is directed by Jeff McGrath, featuring David Parker as Atticus Finch, Jeffrey T. Heyer as Walter Cunningham, and Reg Huston as Boo Radley. Technical support is provided by David Parker (Scenic), John Englehorn (Lights), Reina Cruz Vasquez (Costumes), and Leslie Lancaster (Stage Management).

Season tickets are always the best option. Reserve your seats through The Western Stage ticket office at (831) 755-6816 or online at westernstage.com. For group sales, contact Ron Cacas at (831) 759-6012.

—Daniel Tarker