![]() ![]() Doran is a natural and he can throw a football with the accuracy of Brady. She is matched every tomboy step by Jackson Doran, as somewhat wiser, older brother Jem. Of course, when portrayed by Jemma Kosanke (so powerfully creepy as the Victorian virtual reality avatar in Alley's The Nether), Scout naturally worms her way to the front and right into our heart. Kids see things differently, and their awareness of good and evil and how to deal with both is an essential part of growing up, of becoming whole. Maudie's adult voice of reason and empathy dilutes the very world Lee details with such natural, autumnal nostalgia. Scout doesn't understand what's going on, why certain neighbors act so peculiarly, why her schoolmates suddenly call her names and malign her father. The many themes – all in capital letters and boldface – resonate with greater depth and emotion when filtered through a child's perspective. A kid's-eye view suits this material since innocence and its burgeoning loss play such a major part. In Sergel's adaptation of Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winner, neighbor Maudie narrates, which lessens the impact, as both book and classic movie versions use pre-adolescent Scout as moral compass and all-seeing eye. The George is the latest in Houston theater's enlarging scope and influence. It's an Equity theater, too, which immediately moves the company into the pay-scale echelon of the Alley, Main Street and Ensemble. ![]() Players has waited patiently for many years to realize this dream, and here it is at last. Cream brick limestone, blond wood, industrial cruise ship staircases, lobby space to rival the Wortham's, a tony coffee bar, a sweeping panoramic two-story (or is it three?) glass overlook onto Westheimer, plush blue seats and unobstructed views in the auditorium, a stage with fly loft and orchestra pit, and backstage space enough for the imagination. George Theater – the first phase of the project to be completed – is an absolute stunner. The theater: What a spectacular venue! The company's prayers were answered after years of fund-raising, and the Jeannette and L.M. ![]() The book's plea for decency, tolerance, honor and justice while depicting the basest of human actions is an uplifting lesson for us all. Second, its premiere production, Christopher Sergel's adaptation of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, is fitting tribute to the company's moral compass through the years. First and foremost, the venerable company, formed as After Dinner Players in the '60s, has finally relocated from its musty digs on West Alabama, its home for decades, to a state-of-the-art theater complex on Westheimer, mere blocks west of the Galleria. ![]() Players has started off its 50th season (!) with a tremendous double whammy. ![]()
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