Mockingbird sing

Emotion-charged play to be
presented at CBT

An epic confrontation between racial injustice and personal responsibility will come to life on the stage of the Clarence Brown Theatre as an ensemble cast present “To Kill a Mockingbird,” based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee.
Slated for performances from April 16 through May 1, the emotional production is directed by visiting artist Ted Shaffner.
“There are some very charged political issues in the play, and an entire community finds itself unraveling because of them,” says Shaffner. “They begin to see each other differently, and they know their world will never be the same.”
Director Ted Shaffner visits the CBT from PlayMakers Repertory Company in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Shaffner studied under Collin Wilcox-Paxton, who played Mayella Ewell in the film “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Second-year MFA design students, Clinton O’Dell, Weston Wilkerson, and Amanda Jenkins will integrate the scenery, lights, and costumes to transform the CBT stage into the Maycomb Alabama of Jean Louise Finch’s memory.
Racial tension threatens to tear a small Alabama town apart when Atticus Finch decides to defend a wrongfully accused black man. His precocious daughter Scout cannot understand why her father would want to cause trouble with their neighbors.
“Because if I didn’t,” he replies, “I couldn’t hold my head up.” Tension escalates within the community as Atticus fights not only a legal battle, but also a battle for human rights.
The cast stars UT Theatre professor Terry Weber as Atticus Finch, and an ensemble cast of MFA and undergraduate students, and community artists.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” previews Thursday, April 15, followed by opening night Friday, April 16. The show will run through Saturday, May 1. Ticket prices are $19 for preview, $35 opening night and $22 for all other performances. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 2.
Call 974-5161 or Tickets Unlimited at 656-4444.