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WHEN: September 19, 20, 26, 27, October 3, 4 at 8:00 PM; September 21, 28, October 5 at 2:00 PM This timeless tale of the innocence of childhood and the shock of growing up, the drama provides a poignant look at justice and the human spirit, as told through the eyes of a young girl learning the mysteries and realities of adulthood. (Pictured above: Bram Akcay as Atticus and Maddie Barkocy as Scout.) To Kill a Mockingbird is the only novel by Harper Lee. Born in 1926 in Alabama, Lee's childhood bears many similarities to Scout, the central character of Mockingbird, although it is not autobiographical. Lee drew on her own experience as a young girl in the South to create a rich atmosphere filled with the distinct voices of the people in the town of Maycomb. An intensely private and reserved woman, who rarely makes public appearances, Lee once stated "The novel is a love story pure and simple. My love of the South, a father's love for his children and the love they give in return." She first approached a publisher in 1957 with a series of short stories, and he recommended that she re-work the manuscript into a novel. The novel was published in 1960. It quickly garnered acclaim, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961, making Lee the first woman to win the award since 1942. The story was turned into a movie in 1962, starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch and winning numerous awards of its own. Dramatized for the stage in 1970, the play is continuously produced throughout the county, including an annual production in Lee's hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. The dramatization retained more of the original novel's prose than the movie, which provide rich descriptive elements necessary for the theatrical requirements of live production. In the cast are Vikki Missulli (Gillette, NJ) as adult Scout, Lauren Sudol (Ridgewood, NJ ) and Maddie Barkocy (Rockaway, NJ) sharing the roles of young Scout, Jacob Lesser (Gillette, NJ) as Jem, Scout's brother, Bram Akcay (Bloomfield, NJ ) as Atticus Finch, Jacob Canderozzi (Jackson, NJ ) as Dill, Scout and Jem's friend, Jenne Carey (Princeton, NJ) as Calpurnia, Russell Ortiz (from Iselin, NJ) as Sheriff Tate, Jim Broderick (Iselin, NJ) as Judge Taylor, Rod Belle (Linden, NJ) as Rev. Sykes, Corinne Chandler (Woodbridge, NJ) as Mayella Ewell, Howard Smith (Oceanport, NJ) as Bob Ewell, Alberta Thompson (Staten Island, NY) as Maudie Atkinson, Beatriz Esteban-Messina (Union City, NJ) as Stephanie Crawford, Jean Kuras (Glen Ridge, NJ) as Mrs. DuBose, Bob Goodwin (Highland Park, NJ) as prosecutor Horace Gilmer, LaMar Giles (Linden, NJ) as Tom Robinson, Michelle Thomas-Hanson (Hackensack, NJ) as Helen Robinson, Mark Douches (Scotch Plains, NJ) as William Cunningham, Mike Burdick (Linden, NJ) as Nathan Radley, Sue Roberts (Edison, NJ) as courtroom spectator. Steve Lemenille (Clark, NJ), director of To Kill A Mockingbird, as well as Associate Producer Jessica Foerst (Westfield, NJ) also serve on the Advisory Board of Fearless Productions, LLC. Mr. Lemenille and Ms. Foerst serve on the Board of Directors of Westfield Community Players as President and Director of Playbill, respectively. Brian Remo is the set designer for To Kill A Mockingbird. Mr. Remo is founder and Artistic Director of Fearless Productions, LLC. Mr. Remo also serves as Secretary of Westfield Community Players. Costuming is being done by Kristin Barber, who serves as General Manager of Fearless Productions, LLC. and Shiva Kiani, a member of Fearless Productions. Serving as Stage Manager and Ass't Stage Manager are Kristine Munchkin and Brad Flaker. Both Mr. Lemenille and Mr. Remo are NJACT Perry Award nominees for Outstanding Directors. Ms. Foerst was a NJACT Perry Award nominee for Outstanding Lighting. FEARLESS PRODUCTIONS... strives to create entertaining theatrical productions that walk on the very edge of the edge, leap enthusiastically with our hearts on our sleeves, and dare to be daring. We recognize that the responsibility of true art is to firmly grasp the attention of our audience for as long as we are asking for it. We accept this challenge with the courage that only comes with doing exactly what we feel we were born to do... Simply put... Our NAME is our MISSION STATEMENT... For more information search for Fearless Productions on http://www.fearlessprod.com or contact fearlessprod@yahoo.com |
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
FEARLESS PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS A TIMELESS STORY OF SOUTHERN LIFE AND CHILDHOOD IN "TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD" FOR 9 PERFORMANCES ONLY
