"...but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird." - Atticus Finch

Today a friend and I went to the local community theater to see To Kill A Mockingbird.

And, as usual, it was a comedy of errors to get there.

I had read about the play in the paper about a week or so ago and immediately sent her a text to see if she wanted to go.  She immediately responded with, "It's a date."  And then I never heard from her again.  I did know that her husband was going out of town so that last weekend was out of the question.

She finally called me on Friday to see if we could try to catch one of the last shows this weekend.  Unfortunately, Man-Child was coming home and needed a ride to Raleigh.  Or so I thought.  So we decided to hit the Friday or Saturday evening show.  Until I went online to buy tickets and discovered that both shows were sold out.  And I was depressed because I really wanted to see the show.  I loved the book.  I loved the movie.  And I was prepared to love this play.  And now, I wouldn't get to see it.

Until I got up this morning.  Whereupon Hubby informed me that Man-Child (who had come home after I went to bed last night) had come home on the wrong weekend.  It's NEXT weekend when he needs me to drive him all over the damn state.  It's a long story...maybe I'll post about it next weekend; after I drive him all over the damn state.

So I called my friend and we made plans again to hit the matinee today.  Until I got online to buy tickets.  There were very few seats left and I spent a good ten minutes trying to purchase them.  But nowhere on the page could I find the "BUY" button.  Finally, I decided to close the browser and try another one - I was getting desperate - there were only about four or five seats left.  Using a different browser was the key and I was able to snag the last two seats together.  HUGE sigh of relief!
 
We decided to meet at a local restaurant for lunch prior to the show.  Big mistake.  I should have known better - she is a slow eater, bless her heart.  We rushed out the door and flew to the theater.  She was following me in her car, or so I thought.  When I saw that she got caught at a light a few blocks from the theater, I called her to tell her how to get where we were going - only for her to say to me, "You aren't in front of me?  In the silver Corolla?"  *face palm* I drive a BLUE Corolla.  It was by the grace of God I suppose that the silver car she'd been following had been following ME!

We finally arrived with about three minutes to spare only to discover that parking was scarce and had to park a few blocks away and practically run back to the theater - shouting "WAIT!" as they were beginning to close the doors.

How we made it, I will never know.  But I'm so glad we did.  The play was perfect.

Well....*spoiler alert - if you've never seen it or read it but want to, stop right here and then explain to me just HOW you have been living under a rock to have never seen nor read this classic, iconic story? Go rectify this travesty right now!*

As I was saying, the play was perfect except for the fact that EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I read this book or see the movie/play - I am always, ALWAYS shocked that Tom Robinson was found guilty.  Of course, it is with grim satisfaction to find that karma finds it's way to Bob Ewell eventually.

It was also disturbing - despite the fact that it was true to the story and time - to hear school-age children hurling "the" word around with such casualness.  I'm sure their parents and the director have impressed upon these children what a hateful word it is and that they only had to use it for accuracy.

And speaking of the school-age children who played Scout and Dill (both local 4th graders - which makes them about 9!) were flawless.  These children knew how to play to the audience and had their roles down pat.

The gentleman who played Bob Ewell nailed his part so well that my friend whispered to me at one point, "He's so good, I want to beat him up after the show!"

If the play comes to a community theater in your area I would definitely encourage you to see it.  It's one thing to read it or see it on television but it takes it to another level when you are watching real people right in front of you portray this story.  It will take your breath away.

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside his skin and walk around in it."  -- Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Truer words have never been spoken.