Published: October 24, 2009 11:23 pm      

Riley Center does it again!

My wife and I had the pleasure of seeing a performance of "To Kill A Mockingbird" on Tuesday evening at the Riley Center for the Performing Arts.  The classic dramatization was staged by the Montana Repertory Theatre.  This is the same company that performed "Lost in Yonkers" two years ago at the Riley Center--which was a fantastic show. 

I came to see Tuesday's performance with a great deal of anticipation. I had hopes it would live up to the same professional standards I experienced with their first visit. To say the least, I was not disappointed.  From the opening scene, I was spellbound by the performance.  The acting and staging created a bond with the characters and the audience that stayed true throughout the evening.  I had a few tears watching the show, but the most powerful point of the play was when I saw tears rolling down the cheeks of Robert Karma Robinson who played the part of Tom Robinson who was falsely accused of rape.  That guy was living into his part!  That kind of acting is hard to find.  The rest of the cast was equally impressive. 

But I would be remiss if I didn't mention the set for the play.  It was extremely creative and moved us easily from the Finch home and the neighborhood to the courtroom and back.  The chase scene where the villain, Bob Ewell, is killed was done with a beautiful lighting and silhouetting technique that was most effective.  Kudos to Bill Nix and his volunteers for taking on the challenge of putting such a monstrous set on the Riley stage and making it work.  The lighting effects throughout the show were tremendous.

I look forward to seeing the Montana Repertory Theatre in the future.  Again, thanks Riley Center for scheduling them.

 

Ronnie Miller

Meridian