Now, for the first time, it’s coming to Broadway.
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Is Headed to Broadway
Now, for the first time, it’s coming to Broadway.
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Now, for the first time, it’s coming to Broadway.
5 comments:
In Foundations of Drama, I'm currently working on a presentation about the Idea in a play. This deals with the main idea, as told through the action on stage, and about how that idea consists of the actual action and how relatable it is to the audience members. Along those lines, a stage adaptation of to kill a mockingbird has all the groundwork to be a major success, as the main idea and action of the characters are poignant even decades later, which is why the book is still so prominent in the education world. However, I think Sorkin is a weird choice for this play. Sorkin is well known for his whip-smart dialogue and constant back and forth between his characters, while TKAM is famous for it's slow pace and burning tension that lasts throughout the whole novel. The production team does seem to have a cogent understanding of what makes the book so special, but I wonder if Sorkin can distance himself from his writing style to do material that demands a deeper look at why we say what we say, as supposed to surface level jabs.
This article makes me excited about the stage production of To Kill A Mocking Bird. This book was really the only mandatory readings that I enjoyed. although it is a little nerve racking anticipating what a well-known classic will be like on stage, I think that this story really does lend itself to new interpretation. The author of this article includes that a challenge for the writer might be the fact that everyone has their own interpretations but I think that hopefully the play can each of our in interpretations a new take and provide each audience member something new to learn from the story. The article mentioned that the writer is good at bringing out the contemporary echos in a story and I think that idea is really interesting. although there is room for error, I am excited that this classic is going to be hitting Broadway soon. I think a good story can teach you something new each time you read it, so why should the play version be any different.
I'm actually really surprised that this hasn't already happened. To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favorite, and I think most people I know's favorite books. It's subtle and charming and despite it's sadnesses, leaves you with a warm heart, and a vision of America and the world a little bit changed, but perhaps not for the worse. It's a beautiful and poignant book and I think Aaron Sorkin is a good choice to write it. He's a calculated smart writer who wil hopefully do justice to the nuances and subtle timing of the book. I do wonder about all fo these Harper Lee agreements happening in her current state. It makes me scared that all these new things she's signing off on just before her death, so people will get the rights, are what she actually wants.
Perhaps Watchman was not what she truly wanted, but I'm sure this one would be found acceptable to her either way. It's hopefully going to be a respectful production of her work in a way that honors her and the story, and they're right- in a relevant time.
This is great news. To Kill a Mockingbird is such a classic, powerful story. Truly a masterpiece of American literature. I’m very excited to see what the Broadway adaptation will bring to the theatre world. I saw an adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird at the Denver Center for Performing Arts about five years ago. I don’t remember much of it; it was ok. Having read the book and seen the film adaptation (which was very well done), I am hopeful for the future of this story. I am glad that Harper Lee is still alive and thus able to help guide this process. Of course, no one is forced to listen to her, but I believe she will assist Sorkin and the rest of the team bring her classic to the stage. This story is one that has the potential to be a very emotional and powerful work of art when done live. The scenes in the courtroom, in particular, have much potential. It’s also nice to see a straight play on Broadway getting a good amount of attention. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing this.
It never occurred to me that this has never been produced before. But boy oh boy am I excited. "To Kill a Mockingbird" is such a beautiful story, that I cannot wait to see produced on stage. However, I think that it will be a difficult adaptation because there so many different lenses that the story can be seen through. It will be difficult to please the masses.
The book and movie are both such classics I am excited to see if the producers and production team will bring new ideas to this well known story, or keep it classic. Either way I think audiences will run to see this production. It is so exciting that Harper Lee is able to be a part of the process. However, as she ages I am weary as to what will happen to her new adaptions to all of her classic work. I am hopeful that as she allows all of this new work her "people" keep her intentions at the forefront of the work.
I am hopeful that this straight play will run for longer than the average 3-6 months.
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