Listen: How Two Broadway Favorites Play Kids in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’
Kids are central to the storyline of “To Kill a Mockingbird” — and for a while, child actors were going to be central to Aaron Sorkin’s new Broadway adaptation of Harper Lee’s classic novel.
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But early readings of the developing script with adult actors in the child roles — including Celia Keenan-Bolger and Gideon Glick, who portray two of the show’s trio of young characters, alongside fellow cast member Will Pullen — changed everyone’s minds. On the latest episode of “Stagecraft,” Variety‘s theater podcast, Broadway regulars Keenan-Bolger (“Peter and the Starcatcher”) and Glick (“Significant Other”) reveal how they channel their inner children to play Scout and Dill in the show.
Like most of America, both actors got acquainted with the novel at a young age. “As a kid growing up, I cut a splice from the book and would do it in Detroit community theater auditions!” Keenan-Bolger said. “This is a character that I feel very close to. And I remember when they announced [the new production] was happening, I was like, ‘What lucky little girl’s life is about to change?'”
To hear her and Glick tell it, they’ve never aimed to literally imitate the mannerisms of a child. “It’s not about being a child,” Glick explained. “It’s about the spirit or soul of the child, and I would say we both have youthful spirits and we can lend ourselves to that.”
The two stage veterans also unpack the continued relevance of “Mockingbird,” and talk about how they got to where they are today and what they’ve learned along the way.
New episodes of “Stagecraft” are available every Tuesday. Download and subscribe to “Stagecraft” on iTunes, Stitcher, or anywhere finer podcasts are dispensed. Find past episodes here and on Apple Podcasts.
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