Two young veterans of the New England Youth Theatre (NEYT) in Brattleboro, and a seasoned 12-year-old actress from Rutland star in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the final production of the Weston Playhouse's 2013 season.
Cast members who assemble in Weston for productions typically hail from New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago, or perhaps are just off the national tour of a Broadway show.
This year, the stage doors of the Weston Playhouse have opened to talented young performers from southern Vermont, providing them with an extraordinary opportunity to work with a professional director and crew and a team of experienced cast mates.
From Aug. 29 through Sept. 11, Weston Playhouse presents the stage adaptation of Harper Lee's landmark novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” adapted as a play by Christopher Sergel. The drama's three key roles call for young people.
Although auditions were held with children from near and far, locals from southern Vermont were chosen for the roles of Scout Finch, big brother Jem, and neighbor Dill.
Playing Scout (Atticus Finch's tomboy daughter, whose voice is that of the Pulitzer-prize winning novel) is Kelsey McCullough, 12, of Rutland; Jem is Andrew Foster, 14, of Putney; Dill, the curious neighbor, is Isaac Freitas-Eagan, 13, of Guilford.
In this American masterpiece set in the Deep South during the Great Depression, Atticus Finch dares to defend Tom Robinson, a black man who has been accused of raping a young white woman. The story is beloved by millions for its focus on social injustice and its warmth and humor.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” will be performed for summer audiences and for Vermont students as part of NEYT's celebrated School Matinee program.
Steve Stettler, this production's director as well one of the three artistic directors of Weston Playhouse, wants to emphasize that Weston likes working with kids from Vermont.
“It's part of our mission to interact with the community,” he says. “Each year we try to incorporate young actors from our area in as many of our production as we can.”
“In some respects, we are branching out in very exciting new directions: premiering new musicals, hosting artists retreats, and so on,” Stettler adds, “but we value our roots tremendously. We place importance on community and keep an eye out for talent in our own backyard.”
Though they're young, all three actors have had extensive theatrical experience.
The youngest member of the cast, McCullough, has performed in Rutland Youth Theatre productions such as “The Jungle Book” and “The Wizard of Oz,” as well as having experience in Rutland's Merchants Hall theater.
Foster began his acting career in 2008 at the Putney Community Center. In 2010 he played the role of Stevie in “High Button Shoes” at the Saxtons River Playhouse, and in 2011, he joined the New England Youth Theatre in Brattleboro, where he's performed in “A Christmas Carol,” “Almost, Maine,” and “Stories of a Lifetime.”
Freitas-Eagan also has studied acting at NEYT. His favorite roles have included Tybalt in “Romeo and Juliet,” Polydorus in Euripides' “Hecuba,” Worm in “James and the Giant Peach,” and Malvolio in “Twelfth Night.” Perhaps not coincidentally, “To Kill a Mockingbird” is his favorite book.
Freitas-Eagan has found the experience at Weston very enlightening, saying, “Frankly, working here has been like getting a free master's degree in acting. The cast is professional, and most have been in one Broadway production or other. It has been really cool working with these pros.”
Although McCullough has had a lot of stage experience, she admits to having been “definitely nervous” about the prospect of working at Weston. “But the people are so nice that they made me feel at ease,” she says.
Foster found himself struck by how professionally and efficiently everything happens at Weston Playhouse. “I mean that in a very human and positive way,” he says. “No one is cold here; they're all very supportive.”
“When you have a gift, you should share it,” says Jack Brown, Weston's director of education and outreach. “So we share the Playhouse stage with ambitious and talented young performers, and they, in turn, can share their gift with our audience. It's a win-win all around.
“We are delighted to be offering 'To Kill a Mockingbird' as our annual Student Matinee production. When we announced the show last spring, the five dates filled up in record time. Teachers love Harper Lee's novel, and despite the tricky nature of planning a field trip just as school starts, they signed up very enthusiastically.
“I anticipate that the 1,500 students who come see the show will be enthralled by the story and the quality of the production. Beyond, I am hoping that the three young Vermonters in the cast will inspire those kids in the audience who have an interested in drama to get involved in the theater program at their school or in their community,” Brown said.
Lee always was careful about whom she would permit to use her story, and Sergel secured permission to copyright his adaptation. During the 20 years it took him to adapt the play, he made countless revisions - and even after it premiered he worked on revisions.
“The story is full of memorable characters - characters that Harper Lee draws so well that readers have an image of them in their minds,” says Stettler. “I suppose that's one of the challenges facing us in our production: how to play those indelible characters while still bringing them to life onstage.
“It's funny, or maybe sad, that many of the issues discussed in 'To Kill A Mockingbird' are still relevant topics. Is our justice system truly just? Without taking sides in the recent Trayvon Martin case, the polar divide in our society over issues of race, and our perceptions of those issues, became apparent after the jury reached its controversial verdict.
“Certainly the circumstances of the Martin case are different than those confronted in the trial of [Mockingbird's] Tom Robinson, but the debate about whether justice was served shows a deep schism in our society,” Stettler said.
The play runs every May in Monroeville, Ala., Lee's hometown and the inspiration for the setting of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Here the town attempts to make the issues raised in the book come alive onstage. Houses are set up in front of the county courthouse grounds for the first act set and townspeople make up the cast. White male audience members are chosen at the intermission to make up the jury.
During the courtroom scene, the production moves into the Monroe County Courthouse and the audience is segregated racially. In this way, there, “Mockingbird” becomes a visceral, lived experience.
Settler says, “Great drama and great literature promote a healthy discussion of tough issues ... and clearly 'To Kill A Mockingbird' is both great drama and a great work of literature. It's my hope that our production will provoke great discussions.”
Perhaps the youngest member of the Mockingbird team, Kelsey McCullough, sums things up best:
“Everyone should come and see our show,” she says. “People already love the book and the movie, and 'To Kill a Mockingbird' teaches us many life lessons that are important to know.”