Arts and Entertainment

Penn State Centre Stage to present 'To Kill a Mockingbird'

Stage adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel to run April 2–12 at the Playhouse Theatre

Timothy Washington Jr. rehearses the opening scene in the Penn State Centre Stage presentation of To Kill a Mockingbird. Washington is playing the role of Tom Robinson in the production that opens April 2 at Penn State's Playhouse Theatre. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Centre Stage presents "To Kill a Mockingbird," Christopher Sergel's stage adaptation based on Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, April 2–12, at the Playhouse Theatre. The play chronicles the social and racial inequalities of the rural South in 1935 as told through the eyes of a young girl.

It's 1935, and racial tensions are high in Maycomb, Alabama. Nonetheless, young Jean Louise Finch — or Scout, as she is fondly called — manages to live a rather carefree, privileged existence, insulated from issues of race. All that changes when Scout watches her father, Atticus Finch, defend an innocent black man, Tom Robinson, against a potential death sentence. In the end, Scout learns that "growing up" is often about doing what is right, even when it comes at great cost.

Director Susan H. Schulman is head of the graduate directing program at Penn State and a professional director. Schulman added, "In Maycomb, Alabama, in 1935, no one seems to choose their situation but sometimes, when challenged, ordinary people do extraordinary things. I hope our production celebrates the belief that all life is sacred. That there is dignity in the individual and even flawed people can rise to challenge ignorance and injustice; to take a step, even if it’s a small step, toward empathy and respect for those different than themselves."

Schulman's Broadway directing credits include the Tony Award-winning musical "The Secret Garden," as well as its highly successful two-and-a-half-year national tour; the revival of "Sweeney Todd" at the Circle in the Square, for which she received a Tony Award nomination; the revival of "The Sound of Music" (Tony nomination for Outstanding Revival); and "Little Women," to name a few.

For additional show information, visit www.theatre.psu.edu. Tickets are available at Penn State Tickets Downtown, Eisenhower Box Office, Bryce Jordan Center, or by calling 814-863-0255 or 800-ARTS-TIX. Save 10 percent when you buy tickets to four or more shows.

Penn State Centre Stage is the professional arm of the Penn State School of Theatre and serves as a training program for emerging theater professionals. Each production is created from conception to completion at Penn State using skills mastered and taught by its acclaimed theater faculty.

Last Updated March 28, 2019