Preview: Oklahoma Children's Theatre and Oklahoma City University taking uncommon opportunity to stage Aaron Sorkin's new blockbuster Broadway adaptation of 'To Kill a Mockingbird'

An abbreviated version of this story appears in the Sunday Life section of The Oklahoman.

Rare 'bird': OCU and Oklahoma Children's Theatre are taking the unusual chance to stage Broadway's new hit 'To Kill a Mockingbird'

Before Ed Harris takes over for Jeff Daniels in the smash Broadway production of "To Kill a Mockingbird," local actor Eric Starkey will take his turn playing Atticus Finch in Oscar winner Aaron Sorkin's celebrated new adaptation of the iconic story.

"When (director) Elin (Bhaird) told me about the project, first of all, I was like, 'How in the world did you get the rights to do that?' Because I've never heard of that happening before," he said. "I'm so tickled out about it I can't even describe it. ... It really is a privilege to be able to get to do this. And the script is so good. Oh, so good."

Oklahoma Children’s Theatre and Oklahoma City University are taking advantage of a rare opportunity to present the record-breaking new adaptation of Harper Lee's 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The sold-out seven-show run Wednesday-Oct. 27 in OCU’s Burg Theatre is one of just a few places in the country where audiences can see the new take on the beloved classic, apart from Broadway's Shubert Theatre.

"I'm ready to retire now. This can be my swan song," joked Bhaird, the artistic director of Oklahoma Children's Theatre, during a break from rehearsals. "No one's going to get to do it for a long time outside Broadway. It will be six to 10 years probably at least."

Offstage drama

For almost 30 years, Christopher Sergel's adaptation of "To Kill a Mockingbird" was a staple for community, children and regional theaters across the country. Last year, Oklahoma Children's Theatre applied for the rights, planning to open its 2019-2020 season with a co-production of the venerable title with TheatreOCU.

However, Broadway and Hollywood producer Scott Rudin claimed exclusive rights to the play as he developed his Broadway production, which is based on an adaptation by acclaimed screenwriter Sorkin (“The West Wing,” “The Social Network") and stars Hollywood standout Daniels ("Dumb and Dumber," "Speed") in his Tony-nominated turn as a principled small-town attorney.

Rudin's legal team sent cease-and-desist letters to theater companies around the country that were planning to stage productions, including Oklahoma Children’s Theatre.

"The cease and desist letter that they sent was like we committed some horrible crime. ... It was a scolding letter," Oklahoma Children's Theatre Executive Director Lyn Adams told The Oklahoman in a winter interview.

"It was a great show. We did the show I think in like 2004 or 2005 for the 'Stage Center Presents' series ... and I thought it was a great production. We had a lot of fun with it."

Although Oklahoma Children's Theatre hadn't yet spent any money on the show and had adequate time to find a new title, national media took notice as several community theaters were hard-hit by the cease-and-desist drama. Calls for boycotts of the popular Broadway show — and the production company’s other hit shows, including “The Book of Mormon” and "The Ferryman," which went on to win the Tony Award for best play this year — began to grow. 

Amidst the burgeoning backlash, the producer offered a compromise: Theaters that had already scheduled a run for “To Kill a Mockingbird” would be allowed to continue, and they subsequently received permission to use the Sorkin script.

Rudin offered the chance to use Sorkin's acclaimed new script to “ameliorate the hurt caused here," according to the Associated Press.

“For these theaters, this is the version that can be offered to them, in concert with our agreement with Harper Lee. We hope they will choose to avail themselves of the opportunity,” Rudin said in a March statement to the AP.

For OCU and Oklahoma Children's Theatre, it was an opportunity that was too good to pass up.

"I think it's a cool image to know that we will be doing this show as people are paying of hundreds of dollars to see it in New York - like right at the same time," said Andrew Lewis, the OCU junior who is starring as Jem. "How cool is that? That never happens."

Acclaimed update

OCU freshman Trevor Rau remembers were he was when he found out he was cast as Dill in the highly anticipated production.

"I was hanging out with some friends and someone sent the cast list in a group chat. And I looked at it and I was like, 'Oh, cool. WAIT.' And I freaked out," Rau said. "To get our hands on this material is so ridiculous and insane."

Set in a small Alabama town during the Great Depression, “To Kill a Mockingbird” follows the trial of a Tom Robinson (Devon Frost), a young black man accused of a terrible crime, and Atticus Finch (Starkey), the upright lawyer appointed to defend him.

Although it faithfully follows Lee's beloved book, Sorkin's new version frames the story as a memory play in which Atticus' two children - daughter Scout (OCU junior Megan Berning) and Jem (Lewis) - and their childhood friend Dill (Rau) recall the days before, during and after the trial. Unlike Sergel's adaptation, Sorkin's telling doesn't have any children in the cast.

"We have adult versions of our characters, and they interact with each other, obviously, but they also interact a lot with the audience. They mostly narrate the story, while also kind of making their own discoveries throughout the story. Then, we have our kid versions of ourselves, and they are the ones that are mostly in the story," Berning said.

"You can say one line as an adult, and the very next line you're a kid. And the very next line, you're an adult again, which is a very fun process. It keeps you on your toes, for sure."

Directed by Tony winner Bartlett Sher, the Broadway production began previews at the Shubert Theatre Nov. 1, 2018, and officially opened Dec. 13 to glowing reviews. The production has performed to sold-out houses since, becoming the highest-grossing play in Broadway history. Fellow movie star Harris, a University of Oklahoma alumnus and four-time Oscar nominee, takes over the lead role from Daniels next month.

In the meantime, Starkey, who owns Leap Coffee Roasters and acts on the side, is relishing his chance to portray pop-culture icon Atticus Finch, who was played by Gregory Peck in the beloved 1962 film.

"Atticus in the movie and in the previous production was idyllic was the best way I can describe it. ... I like this version of Atticus better because he's more of a human being. Over the course of the play, he finds out that he's wrong about a lot of things, which in the previous version, he was not wrong. He was always right. He was always the shining beacon of justice, if you will. In this one, he wants to be that. But it doesn't work out that way. He learns throughout the course of the show that nobody escapes unscathed from tragedy, particularly the people that are trying to prevent it," said Starkey, who played the sheriff in Oklahoma Children's Theatre's 2000s production of "To Kill a Mockingbird."

"The previous version is great, but this one is updated in that nobody's a saint. And I think that makes it more relevant for us in our times now .... because while we may have come a long way in that we no longer hang black men ... there's that specter of racism that still is there."

ON STAGE

"To Kill a Mockingbird"

When: Wednesday-Oct. 27.

Where: Oklahoma City University's Burg Theatre.

Tickets: Sold out.

Information: www.oklahomachildrenstheatre.org.

-BAM