The Attic Theatre is pleased to announce that it is returning to the Historic Elwood Opera House for the production of the classic story To Kill a Mockingbird.
Elwood resident Bill Smith will be directing the play’s four performances on April 11, 12 and 13. Hamilton County residents Rob Blair (Atticus Finch), Joshua J. Dekker (Bob Ewell), Jennifer Luczywo (Maudie Atkinson), Blair Henson (Boo Radley), Ian Hauer (Horace Gilmer), Simon Wood (Dill Harris), Eric Bowman (Heck Tate), Tanzania Hampton (Calpurnia) and Audrey Caron (Mayella Ewell) make up almost half of the cast of the play.
The play is made possible by the support of the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC), the Community Foundation of Randolph County, and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), a federal agency. The Attic Theatre found out last summer that the IAC was interested in participating in staging this play in Elwood.
In The Attic Theatre’s grant proposal, the organization suggested that staging To Kill a Mockingbird in Elwood might have a positive influence on a community that, despite notable progress, has been historically characterized as racially insensitive. Community and educational outreaches that have included some of the actors and crew, as well as an associated art show, spoken word/poetry contest, and online survey are some of the various ways the organization is seeking to engage local residents.
As Director Bill Smith has explained, “Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird continues to inspire readers and should be the main source of how to interpret any adaptation, whether it be stage or screen. We know theatre lovers in Elwood and surrounding communities will be greatly impacted by this timeless story on the importance of judging people by their character, and not discriminating on the basis of any outward or perceived differences.”
Many Attic Theatre favorites are also returning to the Opera House stage: Madison Oetjen as Jean Louise, Cameron Mayhill as Judge Taylor, Lori Oetjen as Mrs. Dubose, and Mark Hawkins as Nathan Radley.
Newcomers to the Elwood footlights are Raphael Starr as Tom Robinson, Haley Dick as Stephanie Crawford, Jayla Thompson as Helen Robinson, Angela Oetjen as Scout, Isaiah Oetjen as Jem, Simon Wood as Dill, Rev. William Watson as Reverend Sykes, and Eric Herendeen as Walter Cunningham.
Interested in tickets? Reserve your seats now at theattictheatre.com/mockingbird, where you can also find the pre-production survey. Hurry – tickets are going fast.