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To Kill A Mockingbird: WSU Does Harper Lee Proud

Last evening, I was privileged to attend a superb production of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Wayne State University’s Theatre Department at the Bonestelle Theatre on Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan.  Check out some pictures below:

A write-up about the play in this morning’s student-run newspaper The South End is available here.

One fascinating detail we found inside the Bonstelle Theatre was this one large framed photograph of a welcome scene (presumably into the theatre) of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, and his daughter and later PM of India, Indira Gandhi.  It may have been taken in the mid-50s would be my guess since India gained independence from Great Britain and became a nation-state in 1947.  This might have been one of many state-visits that Mr. Nehru made to the USA after that, and it is a known historical fact that his daughter accompanied him on international visits– which is how she was also possibly groomed into her later position of taking over the mantle of political leadership in India.  The Nehru-Gandhi dynasty is an epic one on the Indian subcontinent, and it was therefore quite a treat to see this unexpected photograph in the hallways of this lovely theatre.  Which, btw, is really quite an ornate building both from within and without.

The play itself was quite a treat.  The court-room drama was one of the highlights of the play, esp. the part when Atticus so masterfully makes his remarks about how everyone is really not created equal– what with the variance in natural advantages and opportunities that we might have– however, the one place where we’re all really equal is a court of law.  How true, and yet how sad that despite the equality that is available to all inside a courtroom, the outcomes of the proceedings might not always prove true and just. 

And such is life.  We win some.  And then we learn some.

Mb

5 thoughts on “To Kill A Mockingbird: WSU Does Harper Lee Proud”

  1. Alex Goodman

    Ms. Isaac,We are so glad that you enjoyed the show and that you shared your thoughts on your blog. However, we do have a stated policy that video and photographs may not be taken during the performance as it is both distracting to the actors and other patrons as well as an infringement on copyright laws. Feel free to link your readers to our blog at http://bonstelleandstudiotheatres.wordpress.com/.Thank you for your patronage and understanding.Alex GoodmanDirector of New MediaWSU Theatres

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  2. Smriti D. Isaac

    Dear Mr. Goodman:Thank you for your note. I am sorry to have infringed on copyright laws, although I didn’t see any signs forbidding photography inside. Regardless, I shall bear it in mind for future shows. However, for whatever it is worth, may I say that I took the couple pics inside WITHOUT flash, so it was not a distraction to anyone, least of all the actors.Thank you again for a fine production.

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  3. Alex Goodman

    Ms. Isaac,For what its worth, the policy is stated outside the lobby doors before you enter the theatre and within the program on the “Theatre Information” page. The photographs you have taken in the lobby are perfectly acceptable – it’s just the ones taken of the stage that are forbidden. There will be several pictures from the production that will be posted on the blog tomorrow. You may also be interested to know that Leonard Leone, the founder of the Hilberry Theatre, and a key player in Wayne State University’s acquisition of the Bonstelle Theatre, was very interested in India. In 1958, Leone directed Wayne State University Theatre’s tour to India for the Department of State under the sponsorship of American Theatre Association and American National Theatre and Academy. He served as cultural Ambassador with 16 Wayne State students and faculty, giving numerous lectures and seminars in many major Indian cities. Five plays were presented in repertory for a period of over 12 weeks in such major Indian cities as Bombay, Baroda, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Calcutta, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Madras. The tour was considered by the State Department at the time to be one of the most important cultural programs to have been sent to India. The pictures you saw in the lobby were a result of that relationship.Best,Alex Goodman

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  4. Smriti D. Isaac

    Mr. Goodman, I am thrilled to learn of this historical tidbit! Many thanks for sharing this with me. If it isn’t obvious already, I am of Indian origin, which is why I even took an interest in those pictures in the lobby! The list of cities in India that were toured were all the major metropolises even in those days (barring Baroda and Ahmedabad), and I can see how such an event would have been a feather in their cap– on both sides!My apologies again for the pictures taken indoors. I promise to refrain the next time around!Sincerely, Simmi Isaac

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  5. Smriti D. Isaac
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