When Artistic Director Patrick Rasmussen put out the call for new talent for his latest Albert Lea Community Theatre production, he got it.

Monday, March 25, 2002

When Artistic Director Patrick Rasmussen put out the call for new talent for his latest Albert Lea Community Theatre production, he got it.

That’s what people will find in ACT’s next production, &uot;To Kill A Mockingbird,&uot; which opens Thursday at the Albert Lea Civic Theatre.

There are seven first-time actors cast in the story of a young girl in a quiet Southern town who is about to experience the dramatic events that will deeply affect the rest of her life. A number of new actors have also been cast as townspeople, the director said.

&uot;To Kill A Mockingbird&uot; is the deeply moving story of Scout, her brother Jem, and their widowed attorney father, Atticus, who is defending a Black man wrongfully accused of a grave crime.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel was made into a movie in 1962. The play follows the novel closely, Rasmussen said.

The book is required reading in high school, he said, so the play should appeal to anyone junior high school age and older. There is some language in the play that is no longer considered acceptable today, he added.

&uot;It’s a classic,&uot; Rasmussen said. &uot;I re-read it myself every three or four years. The interest level in it is still high.&uot;

Albert Lea Community Theatre does one drama each year. &uot;The board wanted to put in a well-known classic, and one that people recognize,&uot; Rasmussen said of the play. &uot;It’s not a dated show; it’s timely. We still deal with prejudice every day.&uot;

The play also deals with a fear of the unknown, which we also face today in threats of terrorism and bioterrorism. &uot;It’s not just a black-and-white issue,&uot; Rasmussen said. &uot;It’s adjusting to new people in town. We can better understand what life was like back then.

&uot;In the end, it’s a show about hope that comes from understanding,&uot; the director added.

The cast includes Caitlen Marty as Scout, Justin Theroux as Jem, Larry Lodermeier as Atticus, Jennie Binder as Calpurnia, Cassie Bekaert as Maudie, Sarah Clendineng as Miss Stephanie, Rosanne Holcomb as Mrs. Dubose, Steve Schwartz as Heck Tate, Alex Schultz as Dill, Scott Pirsig as Mr. Cunningham and Judge Taylor, John Champion as the Rev. Sykes, Julianna Peterson as Mayella Ewell, Mike Compton as Bob Ewell, Shawn Davis as Mr. Gilmer and Boo Radley, and Charles Winslett as Tom Robinson.

The townspeople are Deb Peterson, Tony Segura, Susan Runden, Angela Lavalier, Anne Keesling, Ross Pirsig, Tristan Selthun, Mark Snater and Aubree Page.

Performances are March 28-30 and April 3-6. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. The box office phone number is 377-4371.