Bradford Greer was offered the part of the black housekeeper in 2nd Story Theatre's "Another Part of the Forest" last season. But he turned it down, because the prejudice in the play was just "set dressing," he said.

"I didn't want to do that play because it was not educating people," Greer insisted. "No white person in that play became educated."

But he jumped at the chance to play Reverend Sykes in "To Kill a Mockingbird," the lastest offering from 2nd Story. That is a play about "open minds and opening minds," said the 54-year-old actor.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning story by Harper Lee deals with white attorney Atticus Finch who is appointed by the courts to defend a black man wrongly accused of raping a white girl. The book might be among the mostly widely read novels in America dealing with racial inequality, even though it has been targeted for removal from some classrooms.

The novel was made into a 1962 Oscar-winning film with Gregory Peck as attorney Finch, and each year the play by Christopher Sergel is performed in Lee's hometown of Monroeville, Ala.

While the play centers on Finch and his children, who were brought up to think that "folks were just folks," as Greer put it, Sykes is a galvanizing figure, the spiritual leader of the blacks in the small town of Maycomb, Ala, during the Great Depression. He is there to rally support for the family of Tom Robinson, the black man accused of raping Mayella Ewell, daughter of the town drunk.

All 19-year-old Mayella wanted from Tom was a kiss, but when her father catches her she feels embarrassed and accuses Tom, the only man who ever treated her with dignity and compassion, with rape.

"This play calls prejudice right out," said Greer, who worked at the Dallas Theater Center with Adrian Hall and now manages a UPS store in downtown Providence. "There are people who are trying to make a difference. Atticus has a black housekeeper who is pretty much a member of the family. And when his sister tries to get rid of her he refuses."

Atticus becomes a lightening rod for the town, a prejudiced backwater that doesn't believe Robinson should be acquitted, even though it is proved Mayella is lying, or that Atticus should be defending him.

"There's so much prejudice in this play," said Greer "It really speaks to it. It's not using the "N" word simply as set dressing. This play more than any other strips away social convention and shows the bigotry. It asks how do you be a good Christian and not have it blow up in your face."

Things, of course, don't end well for Robinson. But Greer said the play has "seeds of hope that take root." And that is something he could stand behind and lend his talents to.

Greer, who lives on Smith Hill, knows of racism first hand. He befriended a white girl in his teens and her parents were nothing but respectful towards him. But when talk of marriage came up, he said, the parents threatened to throw the girl out of the house.

"Even in 2009 we're reminded that racism is still rampant," he said, citing the recent case of a justice of the peace who refused to marry an interracial couple. "Gay people feel that. They are given certain rights but they can't marry."

"It's people like Atticus Finch who have to stand up and say 'No.' "

Most people know the story behind "To Kill a Mockingbird," Harper Lee's tale of a saintly Alabama lawyer appointed to defend a black man wrongly accused of raping a white woman during the Great Depression. But it's an important story worth remembering. And at Warren's 2nd Story Theatre the remembering is as sweet as it is powerful.

This is a terrific production directed with a confident hand by Mark Peckham. There is not much in the way of sets, which is 2nd Story's wont, but the cast is top-notch, especially Vince Petronio as attorney Atticus Finch and F. William Oakes as Bob Ewell, the town drunk who testifies that kindly Tom Robinson raped his dim-witted daughter.

Kudos, too, to the band of children in the cast.

If you don't know Lee's novel or haven't seen the film starring Gregory Peck as Atticus, the plot is simple. Tom Robinson, a good-hearted black man, has befriended Mayella Ewell, who is white trash personified. One day Mayella invites Tom into the house when her siblings are in town and throws herself at him. But when her hateful father Bob happens upon the scene, he beats Mayella and accuses Robinson of rape. She goes along with the charges.

Petronio's Atticus is assigned the case and essentially exposes Mayella and her father as liars. But this is the Deep South in the 1930s.

Kids play an important part in the play, adapted by Christopher Sergel, for the action is often scene through the eyes of Scout, Atticus's young daughter, and her older brother Jem. Margaret Durning is impressive as the feisty, headstrong Scout, who wants to be kept up on all the details of the trial and won't be pushed around by anyone. There's a great scene where she confronts an angry neighbor who has come to the jail to get Tom Robinson. She reminds him that she plays with his son and they her father defended him, and he orders a band of angry townsfolk home.

Evan Kinnane, a 2nd Story veteran at this point, does his usual slick job as Jem, and newcomer Arek Schneyer makes a appropriately precocious Dill, their friend.

Oakes, though, is especially fine as Ewell, the quintessential bigoted redneck, who would rather see a black man sent to jail than admit that his daughter had feelings for one. He's got the accent down, the gestures, and the mean streak as wide as a corn field. And he carries it all off with a kind of crazed, evil look about him.

Petronio plays opposite him nicely, as the even-tempered lawyer; who tries to do right by his fellow man. Together they are a wonderful study in contrasts.

Paula Faber helps move the story along as socially enlightened Maudie Atkinson, who often serves as narrator. And Jona Cedeno stood out as Tom Robinson, the black man who was nothing but decent to Mayella. His moment on the stand was really moving.

Other strong performances came from Eric Behr as sheriff Heck Tate and Amy Thompson as Mayella. It was wonderful to watch her squirm during Tom's testimony, as Tom laid out his version of events.

In lesser roles Walter Cotter plays Judge Taylor, an obvious product of the South, but still a man of some integrity and fairness. And Jonathan Jacobs made a brief appearance as Boo Radley, the reclusive hermit who leaves presents for Scout and comes to the children's rescue at one point.

Again, this is an excellent production of a superb play, one of the most significant stories of our times. Its run has already been extended because of many sold-out performances. So it would be wise to get tickets as soon as possible.

Harper Lee's Pulitzer-prize winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is celebrating its 50th anniversary next year.

The moving story of small town lawyer Atticus Finch was scripted for the stage in 1970 by Christopher Sergel, and is being given a powerful, shortened production at Warren's Second Story Theatre.

Directed by Mark Peckham, who did such a fine job with 2nd Story's "Orpheus Descending" last year, Mockingbird is presented in the round with a large cast that includes three delightful child actors.

Set in Alabama in 1935, the story follows Atticus Finch (Vince Petronio) as he takes on the unpopular job of defending a falsely accused black man accused of raping a white girl.

The scene is set in the first act, where we meet Scout (Margaret Durning) and Jem, (Evan Kinnane) the widowed Atticus' young children, and their new friend, Dill (Arek Schneyer), who are unwitting observers to the prejudice and violence that surrounds them. We've seen the talented young Kinnane before at 2nd Story, and marvel at his steady progress as an accomplished actor.

Peckham said that he auditioned over 10 girls for the role of Scout and chose Margaret Durning for the natural talent she displays on stage. Keep your eye on this young lady. She is a joy to watch whenever she is on stage, whether speaking or observing what is going on around her.

Petronio plays perfectly off the three children...not an easy task. Remember what W.C. Fields said about never taking the stage with children or animals. He has his southern accent down perfectly, and he will move you with his courtroom summary.

The small stage doubles as Finch's front yard and the courtroom, with Paula Faber in the role of Maudie, moving the story along and filling in the gaps, keeping the adaptation under two hours with a brief intermission.

F. William Oakes has had a few bizarre roles over the years and proves he is one of the best character actors in Rhode Island with his chilling portrayal of Bob Ewell, the accusing girl's father. Amy Thompson, well over the age to vote who has made a career playing young girls (You may remember her in "The Miracle Worker"), plays his 19-year-old daughter.

The fast-paced first act ends with a quick change of props and the judge (Walter Cotter) calling his first witness before declaring a 15-minute recess (intermission time).

The second act takes place in the courtroom, with Atticus uncovering many holes in the testimonies of the "victim" and her crazed father. Atticus calls the accused black man (Jona Cedeno) to the stand, where he gives his testimony, with the angry, prejudiced townsfolk gathered around. If you have read the book or seen the movie, you know the verdict.

Faber's Maudie and Atticus' Petronio sum things up nicely, leaving the audience with some hope that times will change, and assured that this humble lawyer has maintained his honor and dignity...and that the young children will be the hope for social change and justice in the future.

Word of mouth has already moved Artistic Director Ed Shea to add another week to the schedule performance, where it will run through Dec. 20. Don't miss this powerful, well-scripted, brilliantly acted and powerfully-directed play.

There are plenty of stories that harken back to a Golden Age, but Harper Lee's 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird was different. The period it was set in, the Deep South of America during racially lethal times, was hardly an idyllic era. No, the golden part had to do with how heroic a person could be under such conditions and how innocent trust in moral heroics could lead a generation out of moral wilderness.

The current staging at 2nd Story Theatre (through December 13), dramatized by Christopher Sergel and directed by Mark Peckham, is a wonderful production, superbly acted, that couldn't be more convincing if the characters were stepping toward us right off the page. You could be forgiven for dismissing the story as sappy. A small-town lawyer defends a black man accused of raping a white woman, with the town against him and even his young son dubious, only his young daughter treating him with respect and admiration. But there is defeat and even death at points in this narrative, not to say that the story as a whole isn't supposed to be instructively optimistic.

Atticus Finch (Vince Petronio) is a lawyer appointed by the court to defend Tom Robinson (Jona Cedeno), a black field worker accused of sexually assaulting Mayella Ewell (Amy Thompson), whose shack he would pass every day. His being chosen by the court is actually a nod to justice, because he's known as someone who will give Robinson a thorough defense.

Three young actors steal the show - well, borrow it completely for long scenes. Scout (Margaret Durning) and Jem (Evan Kinnane) are single-parent Atticus's children, and Dill (Arek Schneyer) is an adventurous boy who runs away from home to join them for a few days. Jem suspects that since everybody in town seems to think his father is doing wrong, that's probably so. Atticus won't play touch football with the other fathers or even take him fishing. It takes Atticus killing a mad dog with one shot for his son to respect him. So Jem's loyalty easily wobbles, despite the parental advice that "the one thing that does not abide by majority rule is a man's conscience." Only Scout keeps the faith, daddy's girl that she is.

F. William Oakes's Über-cracker Ewell can wear on us with his single note of strident hatefulness, but Thompson modulates her anger as the supposedly assaulted daughter, so her crescendo on the witness stand is quite convincing. Next to that performance, the most affecting courtroom scene is Cedeno's testimony as accused sharecropper Robinson. Among some strong talent here, it's the most affecting acting of the evening, as the man testifies while knowing that he dare not express the rage he feels at being railroaded. Cedeno also hangs onto his apparently well-researched Alabama accent through all the emotional swoops and turns of his scene, a difficulty exemplified by the servant Calpurnia (Carolyn Pemberton) frequently forgetting what region she is in.

I wish that the subplot about Boo Radley (Jonathan Jacobs) weren't given short shrift in the book and play. He is the local bogeyman in the Finch neighborhood, feebleminded and kept in his house following a sudden act of violence years before. After his existence is mentioned, he's mainly used for a deus ex machina toward the end.

The set design by Trevor Elliot is minimal but creates maximum ambience, with a massive towering tree draped with moss and white fencing around the stage space, spattered with dirt to indicate street use but also separating four blocks of audience bleachers like jury railings.

To Kill a Mockingbird can be thought of as the kind of story that society tells to forgive itself about its past. I prefer to think of it as a morality tale that reminds us how we can be in the future.

Atticus Finch, Scout and Boo Radley - just hearing the characters' names from "To Kill a Mockingbird" immediately throws many of us back into the pages of Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel or into a heart-warming scene of the 1962 film starring the handsome Gregory Peck. Unlike a Shakespearean play where directors are expected to put their own stamps on a production, this classic tale is so deeply etched in our minds that any theatrical production of the story must stay true to its predecessors. Otherwise, you have a grumbling audience, "Well, that's not how it happened..." That's why it was incredibly refreshing and satisfying to witness 2nd Story Theatre's production of "To Kill a Mockingbird" - now playing through Dec. 20. On stage, the coming-of age story about a widowed father and his two children set during the Depression stays true to form - presenting such an uncanny rendition of the beloved story that simply the beauty of the production and casting brought tears to my eyes during the opening scenes.

Written by playwright Christopher Sergel, the play takes Lee's 1960 book and shrinks it down for the stage, retaining its warmth and much of the same dialogue. In Maycomb, Ala., Atticus is a lawyer just shy of 50 and father to Jean Louise Finch, otherwise known as Scout, a precocious rough-and-tumble 6-year-old, and Jem, her protective older brother.

Scout and Jem befriend Dill, an odd boy who visits his aunt during summers, and they find trinkets left by their mysterious, secluded neighbor Boo Radley in the hole of a tree trunk.

Meanwhile, after jeers and name-calling - their cantankerous elderly neighbor Mrs. Dubose (Liz Hallenbeck) calls their father "a (n-word) lover" - the kids discover that Atticus (whom they call by first name) is defending an innocent black man, Tom Robinson, accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell (Amy Thompson).

The show's stars are its child actors who electrify the stage with their mere presence. In striped overalls and blunt-cut bob held back by a barrette, Margaret Durning gives an enchanting, magnetic performance as the rowdy, but tenderhearted tomboy. As Jem, Evan Kinnane - a regular on the 2nd Story stage in productions such as "David Copperfield" and "The Dark at the Top of the Stairs" - brilliantly captures the character's budding maturity and vulnerability. Decked out in adorable suspenders and shorts, Arek Schneyer plays a funny and wonderfully quirky Dill, a character based on a young Truman Capote, Harper Lee's childhood friend.

Vince Petronio portrays a solid, noble and dignified Atticus who delivers a powerful concluding argument at the end of Tom's trial. With greasy matted hair, dirty face and back hair popping out of filthy overalls, actor F. William Oakes is utterly nasty and vile as Mayella's trashy father, Bob Ewell. His tempestuous, long Southern drawl is spot-on and he's a disgusting delight to watch. Jona Cedeno gives a strong performance as Tom, a married, working man who's interrogated about how he busted a chiffarobe for Mayella and fended off her sexual advances.

Unlike the novel in which Scout is narrator, Ms. Maudie Atkinson, a neighbor to the Finch family (Paula Faber) takes on that role in the play and moves the story forward to the end when Boo saves Scout and Jem from the violent Mr. Ewell. As Boo, Jonathan Jacobs' shocking blond hair and meekness is so fondly reminiscent of Robert Duvall's film portrayal.

Although close to sublime, the play has two very minor flaws. As a Southerner myself, I felt that the show lacked a little molasses. The play, which clocked in at one hour and 45 minutes (including a brief intermission), felt too rushed especially in key moments (such as when the children discover trinkets in the tree) and needs to slow down to a let's breathe-in-some-fresh-air, 1930s, small-town pace. And while most of the ensemble's Southern accents were adequate, most of them were still speaking at a fast, Northeastern speed. If the accents are slowed down, rounded out and take on a sing-songy drawl, the play's tempo would take suit so that the audience could savor each scene like sucking on a butterscotch candy.

While most of the Depression-era costumes looked like they came straight from the dusty era, Jem looked like he walked straight out of 2009 with his new looking Converse sneakers, jeans and buttondown shirt. And in the scene when Jem and Scout are attacked by Mr. Ewell, oh how I wish someone would have slapped together a big papermache hamhock costume for Scout to wear just like she did in the book and movie (she just wears overalls in that scene).

But of course, the play can't always be exactly like the book or movie. But this production of "Mockingbird" is immensely gratifying, amazingly pleasurable and pretty darn close.

2nd Story Theatre's current production of playwright Christopher Sergel's adaptation of Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is a powerful, moving portrait of racial injustice in the 1930s South, as witnessed through the eyes of a young girl.

The much-lauded and widely-read novel was published in 1960 and spawned the 1962 Oscar-winning courtroom drama starring Gregory Peck. The young girl at the center of this familiar story is Jean Louis "Scout" Finch (Margaret Durning), whose father, Atticus (Vince Petronio), is an Alabama lawyer defending Tom Robinson (Jona Cedeno), a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell (Amy Thompson).

The narrow-minded townspeople are convinced of Tom's guilt and find it incomprehensible that Atticus would defend the accused, so Scout and her older brother, Jem (Evan Kinnane), are forced to endure threats and ruthless name-calling from neighbors and classmates. Keeping a watchful eye over the two motherless youths is their nanny and maid, Calpurnia (Carolyn Pemberton) and Miss Maudie Atkinson (Paula Faber), longtime family friend and the show's narrator.

Atticus has a few supporters, including Maudie and sheriff Heck Tate (Eric Behr), yet despite the evidence, which points to Mayella's father, town drunk Bob Ewell (F William Oakes), Tom's fate is uncertain, undoubtedly because of his skin color.

Even those few who haven't read the book can predict the outcome--after all, events transpire in the South following the depression--yet the atmosphere on stage, especially during the trail, is tense and captivating. Because the audience is able to experience said events from a child's point of view, the story has universal appeal and continues, almost five decades later, to provoke thought and discussion.

2nd Story's minimalist stage effectively conveys the quaint Finch home's front yard, complete with benches, steps leading to the house's screen door entrance, and a neighbor's tree.

The children's performances are a glowing testament to the precise and impressive direction of Mark Peckham. Durning is both amusing and touching as Scout, the willful tomboy determined to better understand her father's intentions. Kinnane, no stranger to the 2nd Story stage, gives an affecting, heartfelt portrayal as the angry but proud son, Jem. Arek Schneyer, who plays their chatty sidekick, Dill, is a delight as the boy who routinely escapes his troubled home.

Petronio's riveting performance as Atticus, the everyman guided alone by his conscience, is especially noteworthy, because he comes across as both forthright and sensitive, much like a father and a lawyer should be.

As Bob and Mayella Ewell, Oakes and Thompson deliver the show's most haunting performances (and cringe-worthy moments), while Cedeno's portrayal as Tom is profound and heartbreaking. Other cast members worthy of mention are Faber as the passionate Miss Maudie, Pemberton's high-strung Calpurnia, and Behr as an unyielding sheriff Tate.

To Kill a Mockingbird at 2nd Story Theatre is a stirring production of one of literature's contemporary classics.

The current show at 2nd Story Theatre is Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird" adapted for the stage by Christopher Sergel. The book was written in 1960 and won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1961. The well known film version in 1962 starred Gregory Peck. The show is a coming of age story of the innocence of childhood. It takes place in the middle of the Depression in Maycomb, Alabama in 1935. Scout and her brother, Jem take the audience on their summer of discovery in a neighborhood of eccentrics. From their father, Atticus Finch, they learn about compassion when a crises of social conscience rocks their sleepy town. Their father defends a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. Her father is a ne'er do well who lies on the witness stand, gets embarrassed by Atticus and threatens him and his two children. The children learn about the harsh realities of life from the unfair verdict of the trial and they also learn from their father that most people are really nice once you get to know them. This story of love, courage and family is just as powerful as it was when it was written back in 1960 with its heartwarming portrayals. Director Mark Peckham casts this incredibly moving and well written show extremely well and his 19 member cast shines all night long especially the three performers playing the Finch family. This masterpiece of American literature is now a masterpiece of American theatre which is rewarded with many tears and a thunderous standing ovation. Bravo!

Harper Lee lived through the trial of the Scottsboro Boys. This story is based on this event in Monroeville, Alabama when she was 5 years old in 1931 and the character of Scout is based on her. Mark mixes the comic and dramatic elements of this powerful epic show perfectly. His blocking and direction sparkles and shines all night long. Vince Petronio is fantastic as Atticus Finch. The courtroom scene in Act 2 is splendid as he defends an innocent black man. Vince's dialogue crackles during this scene, leaving the audience breathless with its power. He also shows a strong relationship with his two children in the show and explains to them to really get to know another person you have to try to live in their skin which helps them overcome their fear of the unknown. Atticus also shows Jem to have compassion for the elderly Miss Duboise after he tramples her flowers. Jem was enraged at her mean behavior to them and Atticus punishes him by having him read Ivanhoe to her to help ease her pain before she passes away. A tender moment occurs when Vince hugs his son at this point in the show. Pretty red haired 10 year old Margaret Durning as Scout is phenomenal in this role. From her Southern accent to her excellent line delivery as this young innocent child caught up in the crazy events of this town. Margaret shows Scout finally understands what her father taught her about tolerance and befriends Boo who the children feared as some kind of monster because they had never seen him.. She is an actress with a great future ahead of her. Equally stunning is Evan Kinnane, a 13 year old,who is fantastic as the mischievous, Jem. I reviewed him in "The Miracle Worker" last year. He recently played Sonny Flood in "Dark at the Top of the Stairs" showing he can handle comic and dramatic roles at an early age. Evan also has a great future ahead of him as an actor. Both these children handle enormous amounts of dialogue with the ease of well seasoned actors and they command the stage with their acting prowess during the first act.

Another child actor who does a great job in this show is 10 year old Arek Schneyer as Dill, the young friend of the Finches. He garners many laughs as the boy who eggs the Finch children to bother Boo Radley to find out what he looks like. Dill becomes upset at the trial and later explains that he wants to run away and become a clown to make people happy. Paula Faber does topnotch work as Maudie Atkinson who narrates the show as well as playing a sympathetic friend of the Finch family. Sheriff Heck Tate is well played by Eric Behr who played Captain Keller in "The Miracle Worker". He tries to control the situation about Tom but fails. The Sheriff redeems himself by saying the villain of the show killed himself, rescuing Boo in the process. Boo Radley doesn't appear until near the end of the show and he is played with quiet warmth and great dignity by Jonathan Jacobs who I last reviewed as the comic relief in "The Miracle Worker" when he played James Keller. Boo rescues Jem from the murderous Bob Ewell who is excellently played by F William Oakes who spouts obscenities and spits on Atticus during the show. Ewell is a slimy, evil man who threatens to kill the Finches and beats his daughter but blames it on Tom. His deluded daughter is well played by Amy Thompson who I last reviewed as Helen Keller last year. She delivers her hate filled testimony about Tom with intensity. A nasty person in this show is Mrs. Dubose, an old, prejudiced woman who is rude to Scout and Jem. She is wonderfully played by Elizabeth Hallenbeck . The sympathetic maid, Calpurnia is played by Carolyn Pemberton who tries to guide the children on the right path of race relations back then and she has a funny scene when the children went to the trial scaring her to death, she admonishes them leaving the courtroom and returning to it. Another sympathetic character is Reverend Sykes played wonderfully by Brad Greer. The innocent defendant, Tom is played by Jona Cedeno who gains the audience's sympathy with his heartwarming portrayal and convincing testimony at the trial. Kudos to everyone who made this a show to be very proud of. So for a topnotch show of a classic novel, be sure to catch "To Kill a Mockingbird" at 2nd Story Theater.

Any doubt you have that a small theater like 2nd Story, in Warren, can't do justice to "To Kill a Mockingbird," either the famous novel by Harper Lee or the 1962 movie starring the handsome Gregory Peck, forget it. This play, by Christopher Sergel, who also wrote the play version of "Cheaper by the Dozen," together with the help of a strong cast in a small, modest theater, takes you back to a story that itself is also very modest and quiet at heart.

The best part, probably, about seeing "To Kill a Mockingbird" on the stage is that the audience feels part of the big courtroom scene, where small-town attorney Atticus Fitch questions the foul Bob Ewell and his equally unattractive and ignorant daughter Mayella, about their allegations that she was raped by a nice black man named Tom Robinson. Watching the movie, you're well aware you're observing other people, from a different time and place, as they weigh the evidence. In person, the audience's own beliefs and prejudices are as much on trial as the Ewells'.

The performances picked up speed and passion during the exciting courtroom dialogue, when it comes out that Mayella has been abused by her father and responded by turning around and violating someone else, and F William Oakes, as Bob Ewell, and Amy Thompson, as his daughter, definitely nailed those nasty, but still human, characters. It was a great scene, tightly directed and forcefully acted.

But the biggest difference, perhaps, that the play makes, is post-trial, when you realize all over again that the weight of the novel hits you later, in how people go about taking care of other people, in their own small way, when the larger world – your career, your culture, your legal system - can't fix the problems between humans for you. These quieter moments, when untamed-tomboy Scout, (who, by the way, is beautifully acted and perfectly cast: she's a ten-year-old named Margaret Durning) learns her shut-in neighbor "Boo" Radley can help people and have as deep a sense of justice, as her public-figure father, you begin to understand what the story is all about – it's Finch's point early on, that a hero, unlike Hollywood's version, which is usually glamorous, handsome, rich and/or a "winner," in real life, is the man who can "live with his own conscience." Vince Petronio, as Atticus, brings this message to life with grace, warmth, and modesty, and with a great lack of sanctimony and annoying sentiment. The way he does it, you wouldn't even know Peck had played Atticus Finch and won an Oscar for it; that's how much he owns the part. Three cheers to 2nd Story for knowing how to do a good job under the challenge of performing a familiar classic.

Most people know Harper Lee's tale of To Kill a Mockingbird. The storyline is about a black man accused of raping a white girl. To Kill a Mockingbird is set in Macomb, Alabama 1938. 2nd Story's version of To Kill a Mockingbird is simply remarkable. Mark Peckham does an impeccable job directing this heartfelt and old-time play. Vince Petronio plays Atticus, a respectful and courteous lawyer. Vince's performance was mind-blowing and dead on. Margaret Durning, Arek Schneyer and Evan Kinnane play the three children. Margaret Durning, a newcomer to 2nd Story, plays the feisty Scout (Jean-Louise). Durning has the tough role of playing a spitfire tomboy; she played the role to a T. Evan Kinnane plays the responsible yet tough Jeremy Atticus Finch (Jem), Kinnane did his usual immaculate job as Jem. Schneyer plays the precocious and sneaky Dill. Schneyer is a newcomer to 2nd Story and is very appropriate for the role. Paula Faber plays Maudie Atkinson. Miss Maudie moves the play along and often is the narrator. Jona Cedeno catches your eye as Tom Robinson. Tom is accused of taking advantage of Bob Ewell's daughter. "If you's were a nigger like me, you would be scared too." Tom Robinson says this quote; it shows how horrible discrimination was and how far this country has come. Bob Ewell is played by F William Oakes. Both Oakes and Petronio's characters worked well against each other. Other strong performances were played my Amy Thompson and Jonathan Jacobs. Thompson plays the very misunderstood and frightened Mayella Ewell. Jacobs plays the fascinating and unknown Boo Radley. Boo has been cooped up in his house for decades. Finally the wretched Mrs. Dubose is played by Liz Hallenbeck. Hallenbeck does an amazing job as portraying such a misread old woman. 2nd Story recreated the famous Radley tree. The Radley tree is a visionary and definitely the center of attention. The tree just looks over part of the stage and half of the audience. I personally know the whole cast. While I was watching this production I didn't see my friends, I saw the characters they were portraying.