Beverley Square West Association

Review of "To Kill a Mockingbird" from Ed Blaine:

Oct 05, 2005

"To Kill a Mockingbird" Shines on Westminster Road
From the first moment that Calpurnia calls out to Scout, letting the screen door shut behind her, there was magic in the air on Westminster Road. In an on-site production that was nothing short of extraordinary, Brave New World, our resident theater company, mounted a production of "To Kill a Mockingbird" on Sunday evening, September 18th, just after the Flatbush Frolic.
As Claire Beckman, the play's director, pointed out, Harper Lee's novel is "a porch story about a porch culture that is practically extinct in 2005," and yet her decision to offer the play in our neighborhood on an early fall evening proved to be brilliant. By using the street space and historic homes on the block, she and her cast vividly evoked the racist world of Alabama in the 1930's. Children rushed down the dark street, frightened by visions of a scary neighbor, characters appeared from every direction, a court scene took place and a mob threatened to hang a black man. Westminster Road, in short, became a theater space, with the audience placed squarely in the middle of it. As the moon rose over the street, I couldn't help but feel part of a world that was both distant and contemporary.
As Scout, Taylor Morgan, a fourth grader, was outstanding. With her small, yet determined voice, she actually seemed to be the spunky girl who stands at the center of Harper Lee's novel. Frightened, yet courageous, curious and engaged, she expressed a range of feelings as she examined the realities around her. Clearly, she's already an accomplished actress.
Ezra Barnes also embodied his character. With a natural grace, he appeared on the porch of the Fince house, calm and self assured, sure of his vision of justice. As he carefully proved the case against a black man wrong before a racist jury, I half believed that history would be made in that courtroom. The fact that it was not did not lessen the actor's triumph. Mr. Barnes played a brave, principled man with impressive fidelity.
Space does not permit me to single out everyone in the cast, except to say that all acquitted themselves well, working together as an ensemble. Doug Barron as Heck Tate, Kristen Janine as Calpurnia, John Edmond Morgan as Bob Ewell and Damon Pooser as Tom Robinson all gave memorable performances. Finally, Juanita Fleming's performance of "Motherless Child" and other spirituals brought tears to my eyes. I couldn't help but be reminded of the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
The production wasn't quite perfect. There were times, for example, when the sound system faltered or when actors disappeared from view as the action continued. Despite these minor problems, the production itself was a kind of miracle. As an audience of over 700 people sat hushed and responsive, Harper Lee's sad, vivid world appeared before them, and when the play ended, and as the play ended, they stood to give the cast a standing ovation.
A production of this size would not have been possible without a support staff of tireless neighbors. Under the able leadership of Mary Ann Cappellino and Sara Alcoff, volunteers were organized to set and collect chairs, offer refreshments and engage in crowd control. Well done!