Some 1,200 high school students expected to attend two special performances
OXFORD,
Miss. – University of Mississippi theatre arts students are slated to
perform the American classic “To Kill a Mockingbird” Wednesday through
Sunday (March 25-29) in Fulton Chapel.
Schedule includes two special performances for high school students from as far away as Arkansas.
Written
by Harper Lee and dramatized by Christopher Sergel, the story is set in
segregated Alabama during the 1930s. It centers on the character
Atticus Finch, who is appointed by the court to defend a black man
named Tom Robinson. Robinson has been accused of raping Mayella Ewell,
a young white woman. The story is told through the eyes of Finch’s
daughter Scout.
Rory Ledbetter, assistant professor of theatre
arts, directs the production. “The story is all about Scout’s journey
from being a kid to growing into an adult,” he said. “A lot of the
themes that are included in this story are the ideas of innocence and
justice and seeing people for who they really are.”
Curtain time is 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, with a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee. Tickets are $10.50 for general admission, $8.50 for seniors and $7 for UM students with valid IDs. They are available at the UM Box Office in the Student Union or by calling 662-915-7411.
Offered in conjunction with the Oxford Conference for the Book, the two special performances are set for 10 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday, with high school students expected to attend from around the Mid-South, including the Delta, Desoto County, Lafayette County and Arkansas. For information, call 662-915-5973.
These performances offer the students an opportunity to see a live performance centered on classic literature, said Rhona Justice-Malloy, theatre department chair. “There are a few things we wanted to do with these performances: We wanted to introduce students to a live performance; we wanted to offer teachers the opportunity to teach literature and performance; and thirdly, we wanted to offer an opportunity for underprivileged students to visit Ole Miss.”
Ledbetter said he has enjoyed working with the “To Kill a Mockingbird” cast. “It’s been wonderful,” he said. “It’s been really exciting to have a mixture of freshmen and seniors involved in the acting process. It’s also been really wonderful seeing the growth that the seniors have, and how the freshmen have been growing to meet what the seniors bring to the acting and rehearsal process.”
The cast includes Alex Mauney of Southaven as Atticus and Whitney Merritt of Tupelo as Scout. Dominique McClellan of Duck Hill plays the role of Tom Robinson, which resulted from his first-ever theatre arts audition.
“This is more than a play about prejudice in the South; it’s a tale about courage and the character to take a stand when others won’t,” said McClellan, a senior theatre arts major.
Other cast members are John Baine of St. Louis, Mo.; Mackenzy Cade of San Angelo, Texas; Rachel Daniel of Nashville; Jared Davis of Bledsoe, Texas; Anna Donnell of Madison; Greg Flaherty of Macon, Ga.; Danny Francis of St. Franklin, La.; Kellee Fuller of Memphis; Jay Jurden of Canton; Neill Kelly of Flowood; Mai McElroy of Jackson; Justin Waters of Alpine, Texas; Lindsey Wilson of West Aubrey, Texas; and Nick Hauser, Alex Dalrymple, and Ashley Dulaney, all of Oxford.
For more information about the Department of Theatre Arts and the production, visit http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/theatre?arts/. For assistance related to a disability, call 662-915-5816.