Director Wendy Dann, who co-authored the musical Sammy & Me, will stage the production, which marks the first-ever collaboration between the two historic Dallas-area regional theatres. To Kill a Mockingbird will first play Casa Mañana in Ft. Worth, TX, Sept. 24-Oct. 2, and will then arrive at DTC's AT&T Performing Arts Center Oct. 21-Nov. 20.
Regional theatre veteran Ira David Wood III will star as trial lawyer Atticus Finch for the Casa Mañana engagement. Prior scheduling conflicts preclude him from being part of the DTC run. Casting for the role of Atticus Finch at DTC will be announced shortly.
"I've spent most of my adult life coming to terms with the inequalities based on race and class in America," Dann said in a statement. "This story of a young girl who comes face to face with the fears and prejudices of the adult world and discovers her own ability to do good in the world hits pretty close to home for me. I recently started carrying around a copy of the novel and, upon seeing the book in my hands, many people respond that it’s 'their book.' They have an intensely personal connection to the story."
Regional theatre veteran Ira David Wood will lead as trial lawyer Finch in a cast that also includes young actress Morgan Richards as Scout, Matthew Gray (Dividing the Estate) as Heck Tate, Sally Nystuen Vahle (Cabaret) as Miss Maudie, Akin Babatunde (Dividing the Estate) as Reverend Sykes, Bob Hess as Mr. Gilmer (It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman), Dawson Holder as Walter (It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman), Aiden Langford (A Christmas Carol) as Dill, Denis Lee (The Wiz) as Calpurnia, Bob Reed as Doctor/Clerk (A Christmas Carol), Pam Daugherty as Mrs. Dubose, Greg Dulcie as Judge/Cunningham, James Dybas as Bob Ewell, Anastasia Munoz as Mayella, David Allen Norton as Jem, Van Quattro as Boo Radley, Bob Reed as Doctor/Clerk and Akron Watson as Tom Robinson.
To Kill a Mockingbird will have costume design by Jennifer Ables, lighting design by Brian Bembridge, scenic design by Donna Marquet and sound design and music by Sarah Pickett. The play, according to DTC, "tells two stories set in a small southern town. One of the stories follows attorney Atticus Finch and his defense of a wrongly accused man. The other follows his bright, young daughter, Scout, as she learns the realities of irrational hatred and discovers her own goodness."
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