Pete Lindemann is the first to point out that he’s no Gregory Peck.
But he doesn’t have to be.
He just has to be a believable Atticus Finch.
Mr. Lindemann is one of the Theater Project cast of 17 who’ll present Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” this Friday through Sunday in Cobleskill.
Written in the 1950s, “To Kill a Mockingbird” won the Pulitzer Prize in 1960, just a year after it was published.
It’s on nearly every favorite-book list and unflappable, unforgettable Atticus, played by Mr. Peck in the 1962 film, is one of literature’s favorite lawyers.
“I hesitated to take the role because Atticus is such an icon,” Mr. Lindemann said during a rehearsal. “So many people have such an attachment to him…I just hope I do him justice.”
Julia Walter is directing the Theater Project’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” a production that grew out of last summer’s “N-word” controversy.
2010 was also the 50th anniversary of the publication of the now-classic.
“We were planning our 2011 season at a time when a lot of people were re-reading the book,” Ms. Walter explained.
“It was Ron Cleeve who suggested we do the play and once the idea was out there, we knew we wanted to do it”—a decision not without challenges.
“It’s not challenging to spend every night with this kind of writing…it’s wonderful,” Ms. Walter said. “But casting it, that was a challenge. Finding black actors in Schoharie County is difficult.”
Kevin Ray agreed to play the role of Tom Robinson—his first time on stage since high school—after his mom, Vena, recruited him, Ms. Walter said.
“And he’s wonderful,” Ms. Walter said. “We tried to convince Vena to play Calpurnia, but she said no. So instead, we found Bobbi James. a wonderful student from SUNY Cobleskill.
Add to that the challenges inherent in any community production—the younger actors have homework; Bill Ansel-McCabe, playing Boo Radley, can’t be there nights he has to be Middleburgh’s mayor—and Ms. Walter said she just takes it as it comes.
“That’s just community theater,” she said. “The fact that it’s a community is what makes it so important.”
Leslie Rigley, who’s working on costumes for this production, can’t remember the first time she read ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,” but she knows who her favorite character is: Scout.
“I’ve always loved that the book was written from Scout’s point of view,” she said, “and I’m always interested in how much she grows by the end of the book.”
Rebecca Thillet, the production’s co-director and cast as Maudie Atkinson, said she can’t remember a time when she didn’t know the story.
“I’m not sure when I first read it,” she said, “but I do know that for me, it’s always been about Atticus and his steadfastness….I think everyone finds something different in it, but it’s something the community needed.”
Vern Hall, Bob Ewell, the book’s most despised character, has seen the movie—but never read the book.
“For now, that might be just as well,” he said. “It’s different for me to be playing someone who’s so…awful…and I’m trying to treat it like just another acting job.
“It’s a pivotal role. When I take my bows and people boo, I’ll know I’ve done my job.”
Thirteen-year-old Livia Horn-Scarpulla is Scout. Her mom, Katie Horn, plays grown-up Scout and serves as the plays narrator.
For Livia, “To Kill a Mockingbird” was slow-going, especially at first. She also had trouble identifying with such a classic tomboy.
“We’re not a lot alike,” Livia said. “I kept getting yelled at for crossing my legs—for being too lady-like. But it’s still been a fun role to play and I’ve gotten to like Scout.”
Ms. Walter “gets” that; 10 years ago she re-read the book when she was teaching it to a class of poor readers—and she didn’t like it, either.
“People think it’s an ‘easy’ book, but it just wandered all over,” she said. “It wasn’t the kind of book I was used to teaching.”
The irony?
“The kids loved it.”

• • •

The Theater Project will present “To Kill a Mockingbird,” in Cobleskill-Richmondville’s Golding Middle School Auditorium Friday, April 15 and Saturday, April 16, at 8pm, and Sunday, April 17, at 2pm.
Tickets will be available at the door.
Julia Walter is the director, Rebecca Thillet, co-director, and Nancy Kelly, producer.
The cast includes: Mike Breglia, Jaclyn Courter, Natasha Sorias Foote, Olivia Galasso, Vern Hall, Katie Horn, Livia Horn-Scarpulla, Bobbie James, Nancy Kelly, Rosie Kirby, Lee Latttimer, Peter Lindemann, Sandy MacKay, Bill Ansel-McCabe, Kevin Ray, Dan Sweeney, Rebecca Thillet, and Nancy Van Deusen.