To Kill a Mockingbird Plot Summary (pertaining to novel ...

To Kill a Mockingbird Plot Summary (pertaining to novel),Compliments of WikipediaThe main story takes place during three years of the Great Depression in the fictional "tired old town" ofMaycomb, Alabama. It focuses on six-year-old Scout Finch, who lives with her older brother Jem and theirwidowed father Atticus, a middle-aged lawyer. Jem and Scout befriend a boy named Dill who visits Maycombto stay with his aunt each summer. The three children are terrified of, and fascinated by, their neighbor, thereclusive "Boo" Radley. The adults of Maycomb are hesitant to talk about Boo and, for many years, few haveseen him. The children feed each other's imagination with rumors about his appearance and reasons forremaining hidden, and they fantasize about how to get him out of his house. Following two summers offriendship with Dill, Scout and Jem find that someone is leaving them small gifts in a tree outside the Radleyplace. Several times, the mysterious Boo makes gestures of affection to the children, but, to theirdisappointment, never appears in person.Atticus is appointed by the court to defend Tom Robinson, a black man who has been accused of raping ayoung white woman, Mayella Ewell. Although many of Maycomb's citizens disapprove, Atticus agrees todefend Tom. Other children taunt Jem and Scout for Atticus' actions, calling him a "nigger-lover". Scout istempted to stand up for her father's honor by fighting, even though he has told her not to. For his part, Atticusfaces a group of men intent on lynching Tom. This danger is averted when Scout, Jem, and Dill shame the mobinto dispersing by forcing them to view the situation from Atticus' and Tom's points of view.Because Atticus does not want them to be present at Tom Robinson's trial, Scout, Jem and Dill watch in secretfrom the colored balcony. Atticus establishes that the accusers—Mayella and her father, Bob Ewell, the towndrunk—are lying. It also becomes clear that the friendless Mayella was making sexual advances towards Tomand her father caught her and beat her. Despite significant evidence of Tom's innocence, the jury convicts him.Jem's faith in justice is badly shaken, as is Atticus', when a hopeless Tom is shot and killed while trying toescape from prison.Despite winning the case, Bob Ewell's reputation is ruined, and he vows revenge. He spits in Atticus' face onthe street, tries to break into the presiding judge's house and menaces Tom Robinson's widow. Finally, heattacks the defenseless Jem and Scout as they walk home on a dark night from the school Halloween pageant.Jem's arm is broken in the struggle, but amid the confusion, someone comes to the children's rescue. Themysterious man carries Jem home, where Scout realizes that he is Boo Radley.Maycomb's sheriff arrives and discovers that Bob Ewell has been killed in the struggle. The sheriff argues withAtticus about the prudence and ethics of holding Jem or Boo responsible. Atticus eventually accepts the sheriff'sstory that Ewell simply fell on his own knife. Boo asks Scout to walk him home, and after she says goodbye tohim at his front door, he disappears again. While standing on the Radley porch, Scout imagines life from Boo'sperspective and regrets that they never repaid him for the gifts he had given them.To Kill a Mockingbird Character DescriptionsFirst, a word about accents. It is my hope to have every single cast member utilize Southern accentsthat follow the rhythmic cadences akin to the people who inhabit our small town. As such, please show us whatyou can do in audition. However, do not be offended if we ask you to drop your accent during the audition. Ifwe feel it is getting in the way of really showing me your capabilities in understanding the character, we mayask you to drop it during the audition session. If this occurs, please do not be offended. We will have time towork at developing it in rehearsal.

Atticus Finch (M): Approximately 50 years old. Wow. Great character. What can I say? If we saw adramatic rise in the number of people who embody the intellect, morality, parenting skills, work-ethic, andempathy of this man, the world might start to rapidly evolve into a much better place. We won’t. Men andwomen of this caliber are exceedingly rare. You’ll meet just a few such figures in your lifetime, and they maynot stand out to you much at all at first; these individuals are humble and soft-spoken. Value your time withthem. Okay, gents, Atticus is a GREAT character. He exists as the moral compass for an entire Depression EraSouthern town. He is polite, intelligent, well-spoken, full of conviction, and truly moral. He is not a firebrandin the courtroom, but his style absolutely commands attention. I’m going to be very keen on developing ourown take on this famous literary character. I would advise you against polishing your Gregory Peckimpersonations. Yeah, it’s really hard to get his deliveries out of your head once you’ve heard them. Hiscreation of the role in the film adaptation is very, very impressive. That’s the main reason I’ve stopped viewingclips long ago. So, show me what you think? Give me your own take on this man in audition. It’s a reallychallenging role, so impress me, guys.Jean Louise “Scout” Finch (F): 8 years old. Okay, so Atticus delivers some truly powerful one-liners andsome utterly memorable monologues. Still, we all know who the really star of To Kill a Mockingbird happensto be; yes, it’s Miss Jean Louise, ladies. She is the narrator of the novel. She is the core of our play. Throughher innocent eyes is filtered a world of confusion. First off, she’s a kid. Let’s not forget this in audition, ladies.Having said that, she’s an exceptionally intelligent child. Do not forget this point. She has been reading thenewspaper with her father since she was 2-3. According to her older brother, she could read since she was born.Give me an 8-year-old who is intelligent in audition, but be careful. She’s not an awkward, verbose child.Truthfully, she doesn’t really recognize her gifts. She blends very nicely into her surroundings. Oh, and this isnot a minor point, Scout is a quintessential tomboy. Careful, though. She is still a pretty young kid. I want tosee her intelligence, confusion, inner-struggles/hostility, sincerity, depth of thought, and innocence. Yeah, it’s atall order.Jeremy “Jem” Finch (M): 12 years old. Jem is his father’s son in intelligence and interaction with others. Heharbors the same frustrations towards his father as his sister, wishing Atticus a younger man who was capableand willing to do “normal” fatherly things such as throwing a football. He’s older age is clearly evidenced inhis greater sense of maturity, as compared to his younger sister. Additionally, he fulfills the role of an idolizedolder brother to a tee. Although not yet a master in his own right of the ways of the world, a significantlyadvanced understanding of Atticus’ lessons display themselves frequently through the actions of Jem. He doesa marvelous job focusing and helping to shape his younger sisters actions, words, and opinions. He really is awonderful older brother to his impressionable sister. His father would be proud if he were privy to a fulltranscript of their exchanges. Okay, some specific choices. He’s a pretty typical kid for his age. He’s also afairly quintessential eldest child. His standing as the first-born, and accompanying obligation to look after hisyounger sibling, manifest themselves via a certain air of authority. This quality should be very evident in theaudition scene two. Truthfully, guys, I’m not sure how the winning auditions will truly sell themselves to mewith this role. Do you best, and be a little inventive.Miss Maude “Maudie” Atkinson (F): Roughly 40 years old. Wonderful female character. Ladies, it’s a greatrole. Living is such close proximity to the Finches, Miss Maude has grown to know the family quite well.Suffering the loss of her house to fire, she now lives with a neighbor and friend, Miss Stephanie Crawford.Miss Maudie is a quiet voice of reason who intervenes with the affairs of the Finch children as best she canwhen they are immersed in difficult situations. A quick-witted woman, Miss Maudie generally makes use ofher gifts to counter meanness rather than create it. She is, quietly, a kindred spirit to Atticus Finch. She harborsthe same senses of justice and just plain right and wrong. While they may not realize it, during the daytimehours Miss Maudie’s minor steering will help to move the children towards better future paths; albeit, not to theextent of another member of their family.

Charles Baker “Dill” Harris (M, may be played by a female cast member): 10 years old. Okay, dependingon what we see in audition, the Role of Dill will remain a male, but he may be played by a female. We’ll see,folks. Dill is a truly fresh addition to the world of Scout and Jem. He brings a world of imagination and cultureto what they perceive to their very dull lives. Hailing from the metropolis of Meridian, MS (with a 1930 censuspopulation of over 31,000) Dill represents a sense of worldly knowledge that amazes his summertimeplaymates. He is very quickly accepted by Jem and, by proxy, Scout. Dill might well have affected thethinking and behavior of Scout and Jem in vastly different ways had his personality been more commonly inlinewith those of his contemporaries. Certainly his worldly knowledge may have gotten him in the door withthem. However, Dill’s personal history, as with everyone, has created a truly unique figure. He is a remarkablywell-adjusted kid despite the truly tragic circumstances of his home life. Dill is a bit of a forgotten figure in hisfatherless family. Neglected by his mother, Dill gravitates towards the Finch household like a moth to light inorder to fill a void. Ironically, where Scout and Jem count themselves as having deficit for “normal” familyconditions, Dill finds an amazing sense of home within the Finch household. Wordy, wordy, I know. He’s agreat character though. The backstory is worth the telling. Okay, he’s short for his age. He’s inquisitive andoutgoing. He’s also vulnerable in certain ways. Show me all of these qualities in audition, folks.Tom Robinson (M, African American): 25 years old. Tom is quite a tragic character. He’s a very goodnatured,hardworking father and husband. And, most importantly, he’s a victim. In fact, he’s a victim in asociety that defines him as inherently flawed simply on the basis of his racial composition. He’s not the pivotalcharacter who exists in the forefront of our story. But he is absolutely the core character who brings our storyinto being. In returning to the novel, Scout tells story, but Tom creates the inciting events of the plot. Tom is atruly good-natured guy. He takes pity Miss Mayella Ewell, witnessing first-hand the difficulties she endures.Selflessly, he works to assist her in her chores. Perhaps foolishly, he is eventually brought into a situation fromwhich he cannot find an escape. Alright, in audition, let’s see the physicality at play. Show us everything youknow about him, and paint an accurate physical portrait of the tragic figure. Additionally, offer us a sinceresense of his mindset given circumstances in which he finds himself during your read. Be forewarned, this is notan easy role. Be prepared for the audition.Heck Tate (M): 40’s. Heck is a great part. He is the sheriff in our small town of Maycomb, AL. Heck isanother wonderful character. Heck is quite similar in thinking and morality to Atticus. He joins the small campof those who recognize justice and right from wrong. He is unique in his time and environment and this pointspeaks immense volumes. Okay, specifics. Show me a man who blends spectacularly well into his communitybut who also displays a unique sense of morality which goes against the grain. Frustrated with finding anapproach in your read? Sorry. Don’t have many specifics to offer for Heck. Show me your thoughts inaudition.Horace Gilmer (M): 40 – 60 years old. He is the prosecuting attorney in Tom Robinson’s case. Yes, heknows all too well that his is a slam-dunk case. Yes, he plays upon the collective racism and bigotry of the jury.Still, it is lightly hinted that Mr. Gilmer is a bit light in his courtroom attacks against Tom Robinson. Yes, he’sa little rude, certainly biased. Still, the latter point remains. We’ll explore this in rehearsal. For now, show mea minor, hidden battle at play within Gilmer. Can’t help but have this happen over the years. Let’s see a littleMr. Markley evident in Mr. Gilmer. No, they aren’t identical. Still, there are some similarities present.Mayella Violet Ewell (F): 19 years old. Mayella is a tragic figure, to be sure. Still, she is not innocent. Iwould say that Atticus sums up Mayella supremely well in his closing arguments when he states, “I havenothing but pity in my heart for the chief witness for the state. But my pity does not extend to her putting aman’s life at stake.” Mayella is a victim of poverty and ignorance. Certainly, the actor who auditions for thisrole must display a human being under immense pressure. She must display a sense of understanding. Shemust display blindingly palpable fear as well. Who comes to mind when considering Mayella Ewell? Howabout Abigail Williams? No, she is not identical, but she is remarkably similar. Her sense of fear overrides hersense of right and wrong. She’s a child who has inadvertently created a powder keg that she is incapable of

defusing. Show me her age and innocence. Show me her paralyzing fear. Consider her position during thetrail, especially in cross-examination. How would you feel? How would you react? Show me.Calpurnia “Cal” (F, African American): Over 50 years old and older than Atticus. Another wonderfulcharacter. It’s fully clear to the audience just who and what Calpuria is as a human being. To the youthfulScout, she is someone entirely different. The young Jean Louise would describe her as a tyrant. In truth,Calpurnia has a truly daunting task. She is not a young woman, but she singlehandedly maintains the coreoperations of the Finch household. Perhaps she’s a bit of a contributing source material behind a certaincontemporary novel of recent fame. Who knows? Anyway, in audition I want to see a woman who is tough butloving. As with every character, she has true depth. Show me.Robert “Bob” Ewell (M): Mid-40’s. Okay, everyone likes a villain. Here he is, folks. Were it not for BobEwell, our little Southern town would be a truly marvelous place, wouldn’t it? NO, it wouldn’t. Someone elsewould rise to the challenge and be the magnet for the town’s venom. I’m sure the actor who reads for this rolewill have a definite sense of the delivery. However, please keep this in mind. Atticus himself delivers awonderful piece of advice to Scout when he says, “You never really understand a person until you considerthings from his point of view — until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” That really sums is upentirely, gang. If every single one of us could really take this to heart and recognize the truth it reveals we’d bein a much better world. Okay, back to our person in question. How does this quote fit in with the interpretationof Bob Ewell? Well, bottom line, he does what he knows to do. Yes, it isn’t right. We know it isn’t right.Perhaps, deep down inside, he knows it isn’t right. Show me how this man rationalizes his point of view.Don’t play him clichéd. Give him the dignity of a genuine person. Everyone must rationalize his or her way ofthinking and being. Bob Ewell is no different.Judge John Taylor (M): Upper 50’s. He is a quiet, moral keeper of the law within our small community. Hedoes his absolute best to abide by the mandates of the law, but he also seems to embody the moral center ofAtticus. When Tom is brought up on charges and taken into custody by Heck Tate, Judge Taylor calls onAtticus to serve in his defense at the trial. In audition, we need to see a calm, collective adjudicator at work. Ialso want to see the thoughts and opinions occasionally unveiling themselves in highly select moments. He’shad plenty of experience in his given profession, but a case of this magnitude is bound to have an impact oneveryone involved.Miss Stephanie Crawford (F): Mid to upper 60’s. Miss Stephanie is a gossip to the hilt. Although the vastmajority of the scandalous stories are a fiction, they serve to further bolster the imaginations of neighborhoodchildren on many topics, especially those related to Mr. Arthur “Boo” Radley. Even so, she’s a pleasantindividual with good heart. After all, she was charitable enough to have taken in Miss Maudie after her homeburned to the ground. Ladies, you’ll find this is not a bad role whatsoever. Spend some time preparing for thepart prior to auditions. Let’s see something interesting.Reverend Sykes (M, African American): 40’s. Reverend Sykes is the pastor of the First Purchase M.E.African Church in Maycomb. A proud and vibrant force among his congregation, he works very hard to lookout for the members of his flock. This trait is most clearly evidenced in his efforts increase and donate severalweeks of the offerings from services to Tom Robinson’s wife and family in their hour of need.Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose (F): Upper 70’s to early 80’s. Mrs. Dubose is a truly tragic figure. She has avery tough outer shell. A virulent racist with an utterly ugly temperament, the Finch children (and all others)chose to run past her home, lest they become victims of her verbal attacks. However, Mrs. Dubose is a womanwith a secret. She is dying of a terminal illness. She is addicted to morphine, the only source of easement fromher pain. Yet another character comes to mind. In the 1998 film Patch Adams, an unconventional doctor inresidency struggles but eventually establishes a rapport with a dying patient named Bill Davis. So manysimilarities. It’s very difficult to imagine how we each might react to the prospect of a terminal illness. Mrs.Dubose struggles to break herself of an addiction before she leaves the world. She uses Jem’s time reading out

loud to her to occupy her mind through the struggle. She is highly respected by Atticus, who can see throughthe façade that few others penetrate. I do not have an approach for you, but show me the frailty that exists justbeneath the surface within this woman.Walter Cunningham, Sr. (M): Upper 30’s to low 40’s. He is a poor farmer who struggles to get by. For legalservices recently rendered, Mr. Cunningham pays Atticus in potatoes, stove wood, and other such supplies. Hisform of payment provokes a wonderful conversation between Atticus and Scout about the dynamics andrealities of wealth distribution in their humble community. Cunningham should be played as he is written, aman of little means but great dignity. He also has a wonderful scene at the jailhouse. This is not a bad part forthe right actor.Walter Cunningham, Jr. (M): A student in Scout’s class, he is a cut from the cloth of his father. Where hisfather displays a base sense of mild racism, Walter Jr. has also developed habits. He and Scout have their fairshare of differences in opinion. Still, he’s just a kid from a pretty tough background doing the best that he can.Clerk (F): 30’s. She is the clerk at the county courthouse.Arthur “Boo” Radley (M): 30’s. Boo is a wonderful character. A recluse who, in the absence of activeinvolvement in the world, has gains great renown among neighborhood children. Stories of his haggardappearance, taste for local pet cats, and hobby of poisoning the chestnuts that fall from a tree in his family’syard are widely shared among the young and, at times, old as well. In truth, Boo is a genuinely kind-natured,peaceful human being. His presence is barely visible in the novel and the in the play. However, his actions andinfluence carry unimaginably great strength. The actor who plays Boo will not enjoy vast amounts of stagetime. Even so, he will embody a core symbol within our story. Callbacks will generate our selection for thisrole.Link Deas (M): Mid-40’s. Tom Robinson’s employer.2 nd Another Voice (M): 30’s – 40’s. A local townsperson who dislikes Atticus’ willingness to defend Tom.4 th Man (M): 30’s. A member of the mob who gather around the jail in which Tom is being held.Nathan Radley (M): Upper 30’s to lower 40’s. Arthur’s older brother, he moved into the Radley homefollowing their father’s death and took on the role of Boo’s caretaker.3 rd Man (M): 30’s. Another member of the jailhouse mob.Voice (F): 30’s. Upset with Atticus’ decision to defend Tom.1 st Another Voice (F): 30’s. Yep, yet another one who’s angry with Atticus.Additional townspeople, members of jailhouse mob, jurors, choir members from Rev. Sykes’ congregation.x26 speaking roles per cast, x2 casts = 52 characters with lines!TAKE TIME TO PREPARE FOR YOUR AUDITION!It really shows. And it really helps. Believe me.