To Kill a Mockingbird - meet cast member Skye Lindberg

Meet Skye Lindberg who is playing Mayella Ewell in LTA's To Kill a Mockingbird.

Tell us about your character.  How would you describe her in one name?
Mayella is very interesting.  Every time I read through my lines, I see a different side of her and a different experience she's had.  She has been through a lot in her 19 years of living, but somehow she finds the strength to push through her rotten life each day.  If you see what kind of person her father is, you'll understand just how hard it would be to survive in this world.  She looks for the beauty in her world, which is admirable.  One word to describe Mayella would be: human.

What were some challenges you faced while working on this show?
I think it's always a challenge to balance different parts of your life, but since this show has taken up a big part of my heart, it's been a challenge to put energy in other aspects in my life.  I wish I could put in all hours of the day to work on the show and get to know the cast, so pushing through with classes and other obligations was a challenge.

What do you hope the audience takes away from this play?
I hope the audience takes a minute to appreciate the world we live in now and the strides we've taken for humanity.  With that said, after they appreciate, I hope that they take some time to think about how far we still have to go as a human race to become more accepting and loving.  I also hope that next time they feel themselves judging another person or getting unnecessarily emotional about someone's actions, take a walk in their shoes and see the world through their eyes.  It's a much more more beautiful world when we try to understand each other.

How does this show differ from other shows you have worked on?
Being in a performing enviroment with older and younger actors has been such a refreshing change compared to working with strictly college actors.  I love going to school and expanding my knowledge, but getting the experience alongside people who have been in the real world is so amazing.

How long have you been acting?  How did you get involved with LTA?
I've been acting since middle school and I've danced on and off for my whole life.  I have always enjoyed the stage and it continues to bring me happiness as I am studying theatre at George Mason University.  I stumbled upon the audition notice for LTA's To Kill a Mockingbird and decided last minute that I might as well audition.  It turned out to be the best decision I've made in a long time.  Everyone involved in the production and working at LTA are a joy to work with and it's been such an amazing experience thus far.

What advice would you give others who are interested in working in theatre?
Go for it!  Go to that audition!  Apply for that design job!  Volunteer!  You never know what opportunities will arise, but they won't always fall into your lap.  Theatre changes lives and being involved in that process is amazing.  Most importantly, have fun!

What have you learned about yourself in playing this role?
I have learned the importance of literature and what a significant meaning if can have on people, myself included.  In English class growing up, I guess I took the works of authors such as Harper Lee for granted.  Learning this story inside and out and falling in love with the characters after not having read it for so many years has truly been a wonderful experience for me and has helped me appreciate literature so much more.