Why Aaron Sorkin's version of 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' in OKC is a big deal

All rise for Oscar winner Aaron Sorkin's ovation-worthy adaptation of Harper Lee's seminal novel "To Kill a Mockingbird."

Led by Tony-nominated actor Richard Thomas, the exquisite national tour production is making its Oklahoma City bow through Oct. 15 at Civic Center Music Hall as part of OKC Broadway's 2023-2024 season.

It's not hard to figure out why this show became the most popular play in Broadway history before ending its New York run: It would practically be a crime to miss this superb stage adaptation of one of the all-time great works of American literature.

Here's what you need to know about the touring production of "To Kill a Mockingbird":

'To Kill a Mockingbird' summary

Set in a tiny Alabama town during the Great Depression, “To Kill a Mockingbird” follows the trial of Tom Robinson (the excellent Yaegel T. Welch), a Black man falsely accused of beating and raping poor, pitiable white teenager Mayella Ewell (understudy Rae Gray is playing the part for the OKC run), the daughter of Bob Ewell (the fittingly despicable Ted Koch), a malevolent racist and abusive alcoholic.

Although criminal law isn't his specialty, honorable and optimistic local attorney Atticus Finch (Thomas) agrees to defend Tom in court, persuading the obviously innocent man not to plead guilty to an 18-year sentence for a crime he didn't (and even couldn't) commit.

Atticus' choice thrusts the widower, his two children — Scout (understudy Mariah Lee is taking on the role in OKC, and she capably rose to the occasion on opening night Oct. 10) and Jem (the terrific Justin Mark) — and their friend Dill Harris (charming scene-stealer Steven Lee Johnson) into the upheaval the trial brings to their small — and all-too-often small-minded — community.

The novel was adapted into a hit 1962 film starring Gregory Peck as Atticus that won three Academy Awards, and before Sorkin's version debuted in 2018, Christopher Sergel's stage adaptation of "To Kill a Mockingbird" was a longtime staple for community, children’s and regional theaters across the country.

Like Lee's novel, Sorkin's play includes several uses of the n-word. That's in keeping with the story's time and place, but that doesn't make it easier to hear. 

How faithful is Aaron Sorkin's 'To Kill a Mockingbird' to the beloved book and movie?

Directed by Tony winner Bartlett Sher, Sorkin's adaptation of Lee's 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel in 2019 became the highest-grossing play in Broadway history. On Broadway, Jeff Daniels, University of Oklahoma alumnus Ed Harris and Greg Kinnear played the coveted part of Atticus, with Thomas taking over the role for the tour upon its spring 2022 launch.

The Tony-winning play lives up to the stellar reputations of both Sorkin (“The West Wing,” “The Social Network") and Sher (the 2008 revival of "South Pacific," starring Oklahoman Kelli O'Hara), boasting the brisk pacing and snappy dialogue that are Sorkin's signatures and standing as a respectful revival of a beloved story and featuring the cast moving the set pieces, which are trademarks of Sher's work.

Although Sorkin stays largely faithful to Lee's iconic book, he has smartly updated the narrative for contemporary times while still staying true to the period setting, which scenic designer Miriam Buether and costume designer Ann Roth evocatively recreate. (The audience is even greeted by what looks like an old-timey fire curtain that theaters commonly used in the 1930s.)

One of the most intriguing and effective updates is that Sorkin's stage version doesn't include any child actors. He frames the familiar tale as a memory play in which Scout, Jem and Dill recall the days before, during and after Tom Robinson's trial, although not in chronological order.

The talented young adult performers gracefully switch from adult narrators to youngsters playing their part in the narrative and back again, ably managing the task of guiding the audience through Sorkin's nonsequential storytelling.

How does the new version of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' change the character of Atticus?

Changing the structure allows Sorkin to plunge viewers into the trial and Tom Robinson's plight much faster. For better or worse, it also lets the writer turn Atticus into the show's protagonist rather than Scout, who is the main character in Lee's book.

To his credit, Sorkin gives Atticus a true character arc: Unlike previous versions of "To Kill a Mockingbird," his version of Atticus isn't a saintly white savior but a kind and just man who learns that sometimes niceness simply isn't an adequate response to grievous wrongs: Sometimes standing up and speaking out is necessary to fight injustice.

Best known for playing John-Boy on the iconic TV series "The Waltons," Thomas is exceptional as Atticus and proves he really gets the character as Sorkin has reimagined it.

"He's taken Atticus off the pedestal and made him a good man with good intentions who has quite a bit to learn," Thomas told me in a phone interview. "All of his unassailable virtues are interrogated, and he becomes a teachable person — and I believe a more accessible person."

The downside to Sorkin's approach is that "To Kill a Mockingbird" is the rare literary classic that boasts a smart small-town girl as its protagonist, so downgrading Scout from her main character role feels like a loss for a lifelong reader like me who has related so strongly to Lee's heroine.

How does the new version of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' change the characters of Calpurnia and Tom Robinson?

Based on real-life people and events that the late novelist encountered growing up in the 1930s in Monroeville, Alabama, Lee's 1960 book is a product of its time: Although racism is a main theme, only two Black characters are featured in the play: Tom and Calpurnia (the commanding Jacqueline Williams), the loyal longtime housekeeper helping Atticus raise his children.

Eliminating the neighbor character Miss Maudie, Sorkin expands Calpurnia's role, with her challenging Atticus' philosophy of always treating everyone with respectful courtesy, even if their words and actions are wrongheaded, hurtful or even downright dangerous.

"(There were) definitely things in 1960 that you didn't have as much freedom to write about. ... So, this Cal and this Tom Robinson, in a way, are the Cal and Tom Robinson many of us have been wanting for decades now. With Cal, we hear more from her side and her specific perspective; she is not and never has been this silent, almost invisible person connected to the Finches. Now, you get that truth," Williams told me in a phone interview.

Which actor from the movie 'To Kill a Mockingbird' appears in the national touring production?

Indeed, "To Kill a Mockingbird" still proves as relevant as ever, and the first-rate cast, crew and creative team bring a suitable sense of urgency to this new adaptation.

As this story is still so timely, the tellers wisely avoid approaching the treasured tale with too much nostalgia.

But for film fans, there is one pitch-perfect callback to previous versions of "To Kill a Mockingbird": Mary Badham, who was 10 years old when she earned an Oscar nomination for playing Scout in the 1962 movie, is featured in the national tour as Mrs. Dubose, the Finches' hateful, acid-tongued neighbor.

Although the role is small, Badham again shows her sterling stage presence, to the apparent delight of the opening-night OKC audience.

'TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD'

• When: Through Oct. 15.

• Where: Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N Walker.

• Information: https://www.okcbroadway.com/mockingbird.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Aaron Sorkin's version of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' resonates in OKC