Mainstage Productions’ “To Kill a Mockingbird” opens Oct. 12 at Parker Theatre
The Department of Theatre Arts at SUNY New Paltz proudly presents “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the first Mainstage Productions play of the 2017-18 season, with performances Oct. 12-15 and 19-22 at Parker Theatre on the New Paltz campus.
The production is based on Christopher Sergel’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s famous novel. It will be directed by Assistant Professor Catherine Doherty, a performer and director who is very active regionally in both roles.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” is a bona fide classic, which in many ways is as relevant to our national identity now as it was upon first publication. It tells the story of historical events that rocked the small town of Maycomb, Ala., in 1935, beginning when a black man was accused of raping a white woman.
Atticus Finch, one of the great original characters in all of American fiction, is appointed to defend the accused man, and he and his family become focal points of a difficult tale of poverty, racism, integrity, innocence and loss.
Sergel’s adaptation preserves Lee’s iconic Great Depression tale for the stage, animating the small-town politics and deep emotion of the original to speak to audiences through a new medium.
Performances of “To Kill a Mockingbird” will be given from Oct. 12-14 and Oct. 19-21 beginning at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinee performances on Oct. 15 and Oct. 22 at 2 p.m. All performances will take place at Parker Theatre.
The Friday, Oct. 13 performance will be preceded by a panel conversation, beginning at 6:30 p.m., featuring SUNY New Paltz faculty and k-12 teachers from the Hudson Valley Writing Project. Panelists will discuss how To Kill a Mockingbird speaks to our current cultural and political landscape while also considering what lessons the play holds for students of all ages. This special event will also be held in Parker Theatre.
Tickets for “To Kill a Mockingbird” are $18 general reserve; $16 senior (62+), New Paltz faculty, alumni staff and non-New Paltz students; and $10 for SUNY New Paltz students.
Tickets are available now via the Online Box Office, or by phone or in person at the Parker Theatre Box Office, open Monday-Friday from 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Contact the box office at (845) 257- 3880 or boxoffice@newpaltz.edu.
About The Director
A member of the SUNY New Paltz Theatre Arts faculty in both performance and design, Catherine Doherty has directed recent performances including “Parade,” in spring 2016, and “Mad Forest,” in fall 2016. She has served was the Associate Artistic Director of the Potsdam Music Theatre and as Producing Director at Northern Stage in White River Junction, Vt.
Her regional directing credits include: “You Can’t Take It With You,” “Noises Off” (co- directed with Brendan Burke) “Mary Poppins,” “The Elephant Man,” “Lend Me A Tenor,” “Madame Butterfly,” “Doubt,” “Chicago” and “Boeing Boeing.”
Doherty is also a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association. She has appeared in such roles as Margie in “Good People,” Nurse in “Romeo & Juliet,” and Lady Bracknell in “The Importance of Being Earnest.” She has worked in theatres including Shadowlands, Opera North, St. Michael’s Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse (N.J.), The John F. Kennedy Center for The Performing Arts and Theatre In The Square.
She has worked for ABC, CBS and Fox and is a two- time Telly Award recipient. Doherty’s short film, “Family Portrait,” received the Ida Lupino Award from the Directors Guild of America. She holds an MFA in Performance from The University of Georgia and an MFA in Directing from The American Film Institute.