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  • 1.  To Kill a Mockingbird Production

    Posted 11-28-2015 18:04

    Has anyone done Christopher Sergel's To Kill a Mockingbird? I'm looking for ways to deal with the adult Narrator Jean Louise. I don't really want her to be in one place the entire time, but I want to be sure the audience knows who she is. Does anyone think she needs a special light and special area? That seems too predictable and maybe even boring to an audience. It seems more theatrical to move her about the stage in various scenes when she's delivering lines.

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    Stanley Coleman
    Eugene OR
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  • 2.  RE: To Kill a Mockingbird Production

    Posted 11-29-2015 11:17
    Hi Stanley, 
    I directed that script many years ago and moving her around is exactly what we did. She was in different spaces each time she narrated. It gave the actress more tot work with and made the visual more appealing. Give it a try. 
    Break a leg!
    Tina Tutt
    Battle Ground Academy
    Middle School Theatre Teacher
    Middle School Theatre Director
    615.567.8511





  • 3.  RE: To Kill a Mockingbird Production

    Posted 11-29-2015 11:52

    Thanks, Tina. That assures me that my decisions about this are sound. My lighting designer was trying to get me to change and not move her around so much. But I always thought that it was the right thing to have her move around, claim part of the story.

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    Stanley Coleman
    Eugene OR



  • 4.  RE: To Kill a Mockingbird Production

    Posted 11-29-2015 12:03

    One thing that we did recently with a narrator in a production of BLUE that we adapted from the novel was to have our narrator move about the stage in a separate world, almost.  She was dressed in black and held the novel as if she was reading the story through out the play-- the play then, came to life in her imagination before the audience, this allowed her to move about in and among the scenes-- sometimes observing, sometimes interacting-- alla the Stage Manager in Our Town.  Stage hands moved scenery about and brought in needed costumes as required by the narrator.  It seemed to work very well.  I think a similar approach might work for you as well.

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    Michael Johnson
    Trinity NC



  • 5.  RE: To Kill a Mockingbird Production

    Posted 11-29-2015 12:44

    Thanks, Michael, for your comments. They are a great help.

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    Stanley Coleman
    Eugene OR



  • 6.  RE: To Kill a Mockingbird Production

    Posted 11-30-2015 07:25

    Sounds like you're committed to the Sergel script, but I have a memory of a different adaptation that has another character (Miss Maudie I think?) take on the narrator role and provide some of the adult perpective.  Can't remember the playwright offhand.

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    Ryan Moore
    Theatre Teacher and Forensics Coach
    Royal Oak MI



  • 7.  RE: To Kill a Mockingbird Production

    Posted 11-30-2015 10:21

    That one is Sergel also. He did two different versions, one with Jean Louise as narrator, and a second narrated by Maudie.

    Our company just did the Jean Louise version. It has a slightly shorter running time, and the subject matter is treated a bit more delicately - but still in a way that resonated strongly with the audience, especially the young people.

    We did move our narrator around, and had three different "hot spots" we could light her in. 

    Good luck with your production! We had a wonderful experience with ours, beyond expectation.

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    Josh Kauffman
    Teacher
    Winfield AL



  • 8.  RE: To Kill a Mockingbird Production

    Posted 11-30-2015 16:22

    I just did that version of To Kill a Mockingbird in October.  Jean Louise was always on stage.  She was the first to enter and the last to leave each act.  She moved about freely to react to her memories of the events within the play, although not in a way to detract from the important action/dialogue occurring at a particular point in the show.

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    Sarah Gerling
    Theatre Teacher and Director
    Columbia MO



  • 9.  RE: To Kill a Mockingbird Production

    Posted 12-03-2015 10:45

    Thanks for your comments. That is quite helpful. On another note about the show, how was the knothole treated? Was it just imaginary or not facing the audience or was something else done? There is the issue of Jean saying "the cement would still be there" but there's the issue of Scout finding items in the knothole and the issue of the knothole later being sealed up. I'd like to hear how you handled that.

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    Stanley Coleman
    Eugene OR