‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ Delivers an Approachable Classic That Remains Relevant Today

Scout Backus as Scout Finch and Richard Thomas as Atticus Finch in ‘To Kill A Mockingbird.’ (Photo by Kevin Berne)

Everyone knows the story of To Kill A Mockingbird. The coming-of-age novel has been a darling of school syllabi since its release in 1960, when author Harper Lee shocked the country with her portrayal of glaring racial inequality in the American South. The film version two years later garnered three Academy Awards, including Best Actor for star Gregory Peck.

So to deliver a script that offers a fresh take on the original while still staying true to the story’s plot and moral lessons is no small feat. And yet, that’s exactly what award-winning playwright Aaron Sorkin has managed to do, according to Jacqueline Williams, who plays Calpurnia in the touring production at the Providence Performing Arts Center. It’s not so much that the show is modernized — the setting is still 1930s Alabama — as brought down to Earth by characters who grapple with themes still very relevant today.

“He’s really done so little in terms of modernizing it,” Williams says. “The shocking thing is that it might feel like it because we still have a lot of work to do. Because we have made very little progress in many respects in terms of racism and hatred. It sometimes feels like it’s back in 1934.”

Much of the relatability comes through in the character of Atticus Finch, who — unlike the distant, idealized champion of the 1960s novel — is humanized as a lawyer and father still coming to terms with the realities of his own world. Richard Thomas, best known for his Emmy Award-winning performance as John-Boy in the CBS series “The Waltons,” portrays Atticus as a man who still has much to learn.

“[Sorkins] decided, and rightfully so in my opinion, that while it was so important for Atticus to remain an admirable man, we didn’t need another white savior narrative,” Thomas says. “To take him off the pedestal, number one, and sort of interrogate all his unassailable virtues in the course of the story.”

Longtime fans of the book need not worry about his character. Atticus remains the hero of the story, but with an added touch of naïveté Thomas says makes him all the more relatable for anyone who’s tried to fight against an injustice they don’t fully understand.

“[Sorkin]’s made him someone you can admire but not idealize. We can identify more with him,” he says.

Yaegel T. Welch as Tom Robinson, Stephen Elrod as the bailiff, Jacqueline Williams as Calpurnia and Richard Thomas as Atticus Finch in ‘To Kill A Mockingbird.’ (Photo by Julieta Cervantes)

Prompting Atticus’ growth is Calpurnia, the outspoken family cook who’s a far cry from the motherly figure who mostly fades into the background of the original novel. Williams’ Calpurnia forces Atticus to look at the story’s central court case through the lens of her Black experience, lending the community a voice that’s largely absent from the novel.

“There are many moments where they go toe to toe,” Williams says. “As liberal as Atticus is, there are things that he just can’t possibly know from the Black perspective. And Calpurnia schools him on many of those things. It’s a really beautiful relationship that they have.”

Williams, who says both the novel and film are among her longtime favorites, is thrilled to portray the character on stage. She says she hopes audiences come away from the story with a willingness to question how they can improve the society around them.

Also joining the cast is Steven Lee Johnson, who portrays Dill Harris in his first major Broadway tour. Johnson also served as understudy for the role in the Broadway production, marking close to five years with the play.

“Artistically, if there was ever a role I was going to spend years of my life playing, this is the role. I love this role. I love this play,” he says.

Contrary to the performance’s other actors, Johnson says he never read the novel in school. His first encounter with it was when he secured the audition for the play.

“I got the audition, and I was like, ‘I’d better read this book.’ And just like most people, I totally fell in love with it,” he says.

Johnson plans to read the book again after he’s finished with the role, wanting to see how his views on the story change. Even during his time playing the role onstage, the play has been adjusted in response to national events. When it first began touring in 2022, he says, Director Bartlett Sher tweaked some of the emphases to better reflect the realities brought to light by the Black Lives Matter movement.

“It’s a different play post-George Floyd without a doubt. And when we played Minneapolis, there were certain moments in the show that hit, and you could hear a vocal reaction that we didn’t hear in any other audience,” he recalls.

In spite of — or perhaps because of — its sensitive subject matter, the play has been universally acclaimed by critics. Thomas’ performance, in particular, has drawn wide acclaim, and Sorkin’s adaptation is seen as appropriately relevant without fundamentally changing the much-loved story.

The play’s Providence run lasts through Sunday, Feb. 11, with two performances each on Saturday and Sunday. The run time is approximately three hours, with one twenty-minute intermission. The play is recommended for ages twelve and older.

For tickets and showtimes, visit ppacri.org.

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