TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD Will Open at BACCA Arts Center

Modern Classics Theatre Company of Long Island will bring Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize–winning story to the stage with a production of To Kill a Mockingbird, running November 7 through November 22, 2026, at the BACCA Arts Center (149 N. Wellwood Avenue, Lindenhurst, NY).

Adapted for the stage by Christopher Sergel and helmed by director Catherine Clyne, this production reimagines the American classic not merely as an artifact of historical memory, but as an urgent, living examination of justice, moral accountability, and empathy.

Set against the dusty, sun-bleached backdrop of 1930s Maycomb, Alabama, during the depths of the Great Depression, To Kill a Mockingbird views the world through the discerning eyes of young Scout Finch. When her father, the steadfast small-town attorney Atticus Finch, takes on the court-appointed defense of Tom Robinson—a Black man unjustly accused of a capital crime—the idyllic veil of childhood is shattered. In its place emerges a searing confrontation with generational racial prejudice, social hypocrisy, and community fracture.

Through Scout and her brother Jem, the production invites audiences to interrogate enduring human questions: What does it take to truly step inside another person’s shoes? How does one preserve faith in fairness when an entire system is tilted toward injustice? And what is the real cost of personal conscience when standing up for the truth alienates your neighbors?

Leading the 15-member ensemble is Thomas O’Donoghue as the quiet, resolute Atticus Finch, alongside Emily Vaeth as Scout, Thaddeus Plezia as Jem, and Lesley Wade anchoring the narrative as the adult Jean Louise Finch. Steven Clark stars as the wrongfully accused Tom Robinson, joined by Reggie Street as Calpurnia and Stephanie Curley as the spirited summer visitor Dill.

The ensemble features a powerhouse lineup of Long Island talent in dual and featured roles:

• Kelly Ronayne as Maudie Atkinson
• Laurie Atlas as Stephanie Crawford
• Staci Rosenberg as Mrs. Dubose
• Kevin Clyne in the dual roles of Nathan Radley and Bob Ewell
• Rian Romeo as Arthur 'Boo' Radley and prosecutor Mr. Gilmer
• Tim Smith as Sheriff Heck Tate
• Tom Brucia as Judge Taylor and Walter Cunningham
• Anna Tatishvili as Mayella Ewell
• Naomi Bullen as Helen Robinson