Solid acting sets the stage for ‘Mockingbird’

When a community theater group undertakes a project with the scale and casting requirements of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” it’s often difficult to sustain an elevated level of effectiveness from top to bottom.

Such is the challenge faced by the Newport Repertory Theater, which is reviving Harper Lee’s classic novel-turned-play about prejudice and racism in the 1935 South, adapted for the stage by Christopher Sergel. The drama is being presented at Vanguard University’s Lyceum Theater in Costa Mesa, where it completes its abbreviated run this weekend.

Director Robert Michael Conrad has populated his production with varying degrees of talent, but fortunately the sterling performances come in the key assignments. Down the line, things tend to get a little ragged, but they’re more than offset by the power at the center of the show.

The limited dimensions of the Lyceum stage are splendidly overcome by Conrad’s staging, which places some actors in or very near the audience, creating an intimacy that gives the playgoer immediate involvement. Nineteen performers, a few in multiple roles, traverse the multi-level setting, which never seems overly crowded.

At the core of “Mockingbird” is the character of Atticus Finch, an almost saintly lawyer taking on the impossible task of defending a black man charged with raping a white woman. The accusations, it’s revealed early on, are bogus, but this is Maycomb, Ala., light years from today’s society.

John Savage portrays Atticus with a gentleness and sense of humanity underscored by a power and dedication that only surface when necessary. Savage is equally effective driving home his case in court and caring for his two children whose mother has long since passed away.

The fulcrum of the story is Atticus’ young daughter, Scout, beautifully interpreted by Madeline Jenkins. Her boundless energy and strong vocal prowess ignite a richly formed character unusual in a performer of such a tender age.

Less effective are the other two kids ? her brother, Jem (Mike Rantz Ransom) and their runaway friend (Taylor Anne Smith), both over a head taller than Jenkins and closer to adulthood than childhood. Ransom acquits himself well in spite of his size, but Smith must slow her delivery and enunciate more clearly before her character can achieve its potential.

Lidia L. Martinez as the Finches’ housekeeper radiates a commanding authority while remaining quite likable. April Zahr, enacting one of the townspeople who also helps narrate the story, possesses a natural quality that shines through her physical beauty.

It’s difficult to overplay the volatile redneck Bob Ewell, father of the “victim” in the case, and Steven Leffler is well aware of this, projecting a truly hateful persona without resorting to caricature. As his surly daughter, Sasha Stewart reaches the fringes of overstatement but remains a believable figure of pathetic white trash.

Clifford L. Sims Jr. has but one scene as the crippled defendant, but resonates superbly with a performance that surely would melt a jury of today. As the aging town sheriff, Russ Reck seems unsure of himself and under-rehearsed, often slowing the play’s pace.

In the dual role of the adult Scout and a snooty neighbor woman, Laura Karalius touches our hearts in the former assignment, but somehow is out of her element in the latter, offering a tentative depiction of a strong character.

Female judges may have been a rarity in 1935, but Sandra Mahanna seizes the role with strength and authority. Tom Spry has an effective cameo as the socially challenged neighbor “Boo” Radley.

Conrad’s multi-location setting, backed by Tina Nelson’s intricate lighting effects, works well for the intimacy of the production.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” may not be solid from top to bottom, but the standout performances in key assignments more than compensate for the show’s defects. And also, it’s a story that should be experienced.