The Little Theatre of Alexandria

Meet Robert Heinly who is playing Sheriff Heck Tate in LTA's To Kill a Mockingbird . Tell us about your character.  How would you describe him in one word? The sheriff of Maycomb County is a community fixture.  Everyone knows and respects him, for the most part, and he is well liked by Atticus and his family, Calpurnia, Judge Taylor, and Miss Maudie.  He has been in Maycomb all his life and knows everyone and everything that goes on in the town.  He is not a tremendously educated man but doesn't need to be to perform his job well. He is honest, loyal and dedicated to doing the right thing.  To describe the sheriff with one word, I would keep it simple: the sheriff is Good.  This is a plain word which carries the very heavy weight of the truth. When presented with the challenge of deciding the fate of Boo and Jem at the end of the play, he is not afraid to stand up to Atticus and insist on "the right thing" even if it does not foll...

Meet Jennifer McIntosh who is in the ensemble in LTA's To Kill a Mockingbird . What do you hope the audience takes away from To Kill a Mockingbird ? We, as people in general, have come a long way since 1935, that all men (and women) are created equal and should have the right to a fair trial. How long have you been acting?  How did you get involved in LTA? At the age of eight, I started acting in my neighborhood plays while I was living in Jamaica, even though I was very shy at first.  As I got older, I got involved in theatre because I had always imagined myself as an actress, playing different characters that are totally different from my own personality.  I got involved with LTA through an actor/director friend of mine who informed me of the auditions for To Kill a Mockingbird .  I am glad to be part of this production at LTA!

Meet Brenda Parker playing Calpurnia in LTA's To Kill a Mockingbird . Tell us about your character.  If you could describe her in one word, what would it be?   Calpurnia is an example of a strict but nurturing matriarch personality. She is described by Jean Louise as "all angles and bones with hands as hard as bed slats." One word description. Cast iron. Strong, well seasoned and reliable. What were some challenges you faced while working on this piece? Speaking from the perspective of a woman of color and a mother, I have found it most difficult to repeatedly be confronted with the reality of our lives in the past with comparisons to the present. I have taught my male children to be wary and respectful. Having to hear repeatedly in rehearsals the lines from Tom Robinson, " Mr. Finch, if you was black like me, you'd be scared, too" is a constant reminder of my own reality. What do you want the audience to take away from this play? What I ho...

Meet Derek Bradley playing Boo Radley in LTA's To Kill a Mockingbird . Tell us about your character.  What single word would you use to describe your character? Boo is almost an urban legend.  Growing up in Burke, Virginia, the local legend was Bunny Man Bridge.  From the book, the movie, and the play, Boo is like the shark in Jaws -- everyone talks about him the entire time but you don't get to see him until the very end.  It's a lot of fun playing a character for whom there is so much anticipation.  So in one word, I would say Boo is a mystery. What were some of the challenges for you in working on this piece? For me the challenge was finding the right economy of expression -- how to communicate the most information in the most reduced way possible -- simply in a gesture, or a posture, or a glance. What do you hope the audience experiences from this show? Harper Lee was writing about home and family, where she came from and those she loved, with both ...

Meet Patricia Spencer Smith who is playing Mrs. Dubose in LTA's To Kill a Mockingbird . What single word would you use to describe your character? Strong. What have you learned about yourself in playing this role? Just like Mrs. Dubose, I am not always what I seem.  I've learned to be more careful in drawing conclusions about other people.  I hope others will take their time in getting to know me. What were some of the challenges for you while working on this piece? The internal dialog is very important with this character.  She is not as one-dimensional as she seems.  People rarely are.  There is serious motivation behind everything she says and does. How long have you been acting?  How did you get involved with LTA? I've been acting since college days.  Once I got the chance to live a different life, I wanted to do that as often as I could!  Hopefully, you never really see "me" when I'm on stage.  My first show at LTA was The Mu...

Meet Tameka Taylor who is part of the Courtroom Ensemble in LTA's To Kill a Mockingbird . What were some of the challenges you faced in working on this piece? I am an African-American women who is jaded by the treatment of black people in the South during this time and I don’t have much trust in our judiciary system for a fair trial. My challenges include some of the language that is used, and having to face the harsh reality that this piece of work reflects. What do you hope the audience takes away from this show? I would like the audience to be mindful of how racism infects of our society. And to think of everyone as an individual. How does this show differ from other shows you have worked on? I've mostly acted as a character in Shakespeare plays. How long have you been acting?  How did you get involved with LTA? I went to school for acting in college, but I ended up pursuing something else. In 2014, I decided to jump back into my passion. LTA is a res...

Meet Paul Donahoe who is playing Bob Ewell in LTA's To Kill a Mockingbird . Tell us about your character.  What single word would you use to describe him? Bob Ewell is not a good guy. Words to describe him ... despicable, deplorable, the definition of racism, filthy, alcoholic, engages in incest, cowardly, domestic violence, and the potential to murder. You get the idea? This man couldn't be more different than me. As an actor, it’s a wonderful opportunity to just go for it. I have to check my heart, soul and mind at the door and dig deep into the darkest places. What do you hope the audience takes away from this show? Sad but true, the issues we deal with in this classic story from 1935 mirror the same issues we are still dealing with today. Bigotry, ignorance. racial profiling, violence and murder are all around us. We see it the news on a daily basis, on the streets in cities across America, and even with our politicians. As the audience leaves the theater I wo...