Boston bound: Mary Badham, original Scout, joins 'To Kill a Mockingbird' Broadway tour
In the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1960 novel “To Kill a Mockingbird,” author Harper Lee introduced readers to widowed lawyer Atticus Finch, his daughter and son and others from the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, in 1934.
Lee – a Monroeville, Alabama, native – tells a semi-autobiographical story of Scout and her brother Jem, who are enjoying a seemingly tranquil childhood with their father and housekeeper, Calpurnia, until Atticus is appointed to defend Tom Robinson, a Black man accused of raping a white woman, and their town’s low-simmer racial tensions heat up considerably.
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The tale of a Depression-era Southern town grappling with violence and racial inequality, with additional focus on issues of class, courage and compassion, quickly became a bestseller and before long earned its enduring status as a classic of modern American literature.
A 1962 feature film adaptation, with a screenplay by Horton Foote, introduced Lee’s characters to a wider audience. The film, an Oscar nominee for best picture, starred Gregory Peck as Atticus, a role that won him the Academy Award for best actor, and also featured Mary Badham as Jean Louise “Scout” Finch.
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Badham – who has acted only intermittently in the 60 years since that memorable film debut – is now playing her first stage role in the national tour of the Tony Award-winning 2018 Broadway play “To Kill a Mockingbird,” written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Bartlett Sher. It comes to Boston’s Citizens Bank Opera House beginning April 5.
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The younger sister of film director John Badham (“Saturday Night Fever”), Badham was a Birmingham, Alabama, 9-year-old with no acting credits when Hollywood came calling and she was cast in the role that would make her, at that time, the youngest performer ever nominated for the Academy Award for best supporting actress.
Her indelible portrayal of a bright and sensitive little girl not only won Badham acclaim when the film was first released, it has given her a place in the hearts of generations of the film’s legion of fans.
By telephone recently from Buffalo, New York, where the touring production – which stars Richard Thomas ("The Waltons") as Atticus – was in tech rehearsals, Badham discussed her new role and shared memories of making the film.
Q: What’s it like preparing to play Mrs. Debose in this new tour, after being associated for so long with the role of Scout in the film version?
A: It’s such an honor because this work is so important and timeless, and people are still learning about it. It captures so much about life and the human experience. I’ve never done theater before, so when I heard that they wanted me to participate in this new production it really blew me away.
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Q: When you were approached about this project, were you immediately interested?
A: Not right away. I had to be persuaded because I didn’t know if I could play this character, who is so very different from me. And I’m 69, so I had to give thought to tackling an eight-show-a-week road tour. I decided to come back to acting because if my being a part of it can help this production be all that it can be, then I’m willing to do whatever I can.
Q: What do you think of this new adaptation?
A: I was totally blown away by the Broadway production. It’s different from earlier versions, because it is art and that means it has to change. It is what it is, because of what it is. The book is the book, the film is the film, and the play is the play. The modern twist that Aaron Sorkin has given the story is very exciting. And while the play is a drama, of course, there is also a lot of laughter, enjoyment and warmth to be had too.
Q: Tell me about Mrs. Debose. What should audiences know about her?
A: She is a very bigoted, very racist character. She is in a lot of physical pain and she’s an addict. Mrs. Debose is the mean lady in the neighborhood, but the kids do learn something from knowing her. Atticus tries desperately to help the kids understand that there are people out there like Mrs. Debose and that in spite of her attitudes, she needs sympathy.
Q: As a young child, you got the opportunity to experience life beyond Alabama when you were cast in the “To Kill a Mockingbird” movie. What was that like?
A: My mom was an actress in a town-and-gown company and she took me to an open audition for children in Birmingham. We went in the first time, where some kids were weeded out, and then I got a callback. I didn’t know anything about movies. We didn’t even have a television in our house. But I went to New York for a screen test and then on to the Universal Studios backlot. Mom thought the whole thing was great, but Dad not so much. He’d waited a long time for a daughter, and he didn’t want to lose his little girl to Hollywood.
Q: Were you surprised when you were finally cast to play such an important role in a major motion picture?
A: Yes, of course, but I had a lot in common with the character. Scout was who I was as a little kid. I didn’t like getting all doodied up, and I had older brothers too. I had a great time making the movie because everyone was so dear and so helpful – from the director Bob Mulligan to Gregory Peck and the entire cast and crew. We never got complete pages, so I’m not sure I ever knew exactly what was going on. Bob Mulligan was incredible. He just turned the younger actors loose. If he needed to change something, he would let us know and we would do it over.
Q: I’ve read that Harper Lee was on the set during filming. Did you get to know her?
A: Harper Lee was very sweet. She didn’t stay as long as planned, but it was a delight to have her there.
Q: It sounds like you had a wonderful time making the movie. Were you sad to see filming come to an end?
A: Movies never shoot in order, of course, so the lynch mob scene was left to the last day of shooting. This is where Scout, unaware of why the mob has gathered, sees Mr. Cunningham and reminds him that she’s Jean Louise Finch, and asks him to say hello to his son Walter, her classmate, for her. It was after 5 p.m. and I couldn’t get my lines right. Bob Mulligan kept having me redo the scene. When we finally finished and I came off the set, my mother scolded me for holding everybody up. I realized later that I kept making those mistakes because I didn’t want to say goodbye. I was having too much fun.
Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird'
When: April 5-17
Where: Citizens Bank Opera House, 539 Washington St., Boston
Tickets: $44.50 and up
Info: boston.broadway.com
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