Victor diaz
A day to remember in New York City! On Saturday, February 23rd, the Honors College sent 12 students to see a performance of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” one of the newest additions to the Broadway circuit. As a group, we came down to NYC by train, taking in the sights of Times Square until we found the Shubert Theatre on West 44th Street. The big sign of “To Kill A Mockingbird” caught me by surprise and made me even more excited to see the play. This would be my first Broadway play, and this certainly was a good play to be my first.
Jeff Daniels did a fascinating and remarkable job as Atticus Finch throughout the play. His performance was reminiscent of the tone, demeanor, and way Atticus Finch presented himself in the book. Daniels was able to make Atticus Finch the character we all know and love from the book, and his performance added a sense of nostalgia for me, since the last time I read this book was back in 9th Grade, nearly five years ago.
Celia Keenan-Bolger, who played Scout Finch, was able to bring the lovable and relatable perspective of the 9-year-old back to life as she recalled the story with the help of Will Pullen, who played Jem Finch, and Gideon Glick, who played Dill Harris, both contributing narration to the story along the way. This was certainly a different take on the events compared to the book, but a refreshing and inviting way to tell this familiar story.
Lastly, I will praise the overall play and the work that the playwright, Arron Sorkin, was able to do with such a historic book that is read in basically every single high school English class. He was able to adapt the book into an entertaining, enriching, and riveting Broadway play. The changes he made, such as the addition of Jem and Dill’s perspective in the narration, as well as certain omissions of details from the book to the adaptation seemed minor and did not hinder the play in its entirety. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the play and would hands down go again to see the masterpiece that is “To Kill A Mockingbird” on Broadway.