Students Bring Classic Tale to Hillsborough Stage

“To Kill a Mockingbird’s” classic status is among the biggest challenges for the cast and crew of Hillsborough High School’s Spring play.

“It’s definitely one of the most complicated shows that we have ever done in terms of a play,” Director BJ Solomon said. “It’s hard to get the kids through in terms of their understanding. A lot of them have a deep love for the story.  It’s hard to get them to not act as if they are reciting the book but bringing it to life on stage.”

The show, which is modeled after Harper Lee’s tale of the Great Depression-era deep South, debuts Friday in the Hillsborough High School Auditorium.

The show’s 28-member cast rivals the size of the school musical’s cast, Solomon said.  Rehearsals, which began in April, often involved talking about the events in the play and the character’s lives during the Great Depression. Since the theater program’s theme for its 2010-2011 theater is love, loss, jealousy and murder many of the discussions focus on those points too.

“It’s getting them (the students) to relate to these characters from 75 years ago,” Solomon said.

“This show also has a lot more about compassion,” he added.  “It’s about teaching you to be compassionate.”

Modern events, like the flooding in Alabama and Osama Bin Laden’s death, became discussion topics too, as Solomon and the students tied the events to events in the play.

“What’s really great about these kids is that they are so smart,” Solomon said.  “They’re brilliant with what they come up with.”

Inevitably, the cast focused on the play’s racism and understanding how and why the characters formed their opinions.

“I thought one of the hardest things about this show was having to say the n-word a lot,” Trevor Nalepka, who plays Dill, said.  “We’re not used to hearing it because it’s not a nice word. There’s also showing racial tensions with people who are our friends.”

“I play Bob Ewell, so it’s hard to act like a disgusting, vile piece of a human being and to treat people like they are worthless when they’re friends,” Zachary Elliot said.  “But I get into it by thinking of stereotypical white trash.”

For some of the students, portraying their character means acting much older—or younger—than they are.

“I play Scout who is a nine-year-old girl, and I’m 16,” Michelle Cicccotelli said.  “It was really hard to channel an inner child.  I kind of thought of other kids I know and worked off that.”

“I’m 17 and I’m playing the part of a 40-year-old woman back in the day,” Saalima Welch, who plays Calpurnia, said.  “I hang out with my grandmother and she grew up around that time. She said to put more umph into it.  She said to channel your mother when she is angry.”

Admission is $10, with reserved seating.  Tickets are available in advance by visiting the Hillsborough High School box office from 7 to 9 p.m. May 16-19, but can be purchased at the door too.

For further info or to make a reservation, please call (908) 431-6600  x2099.