Editing To Kill a Mockingbird (section)

=== Plays ===
The book was first adapted as a play by Christopher Sergel. This adaptation debuted in 1990 in Monroeville, a town that labels itself "The Literary Capital of Alabama". The play runs every May on the county courthouse grounds and townspeople make up the cast. White male audience members are chosen at the intermission to make up the jury. During the courtroom scene, the production moves into the Monroe County Courthouse and the audience is racially segregated.<ref>Noble, pp. 4–5.</ref> Author [[Albert Murray (writer)|Albert Murray]] said of the relationship of the town to the novel (and the annual performance): "It becomes part of the town ritual, like the religious underpinning of [[Mardi Gras]]. With the whole town crowded around the actual courthouse, it's part of a central, civic education—what Monroeville aspires to be."<ref>Hoffman, Roy (August 9, 1998). "Long Lives the Mockingbird", ''The New York Times Book Review'', p.  31.</ref>

Sergel's play toured in the UK starting at the [[West Yorkshire Playhouse]] in [[Leeds]] in 2006,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/to-kill-a-mockingbird-west-yorkshire-leeds-playhouse--none-onestar-twostar-threestar-fourstar-fivestar-416775.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220621/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/to-kill-a-mockingbird-west-yorkshire-leeds-playhouse--none-onestar-twostar-threestar-fourstar-fivestar-416775.html |archive-date=June 21, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=To Kill A Mockingbird, West Yorkshire, Leeds Playhouse|last=Walker|first=Lynne|date=30 September 2006|access-date=17 April 2014|newspaper=The Independent}}</ref> and again in 2011 starting at the [[York Theatre Royal]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/to-kill-a-mockingbird-theatre-royal-york-2222896.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220621/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/to-kill-a-mockingbird-theatre-royal-york-2222896.html |archive-date=June 21, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=To Kill a Mockingbird, Theatre Royal, York|last=Brown|first=Jonathan|date=23 February 2011|access-date=17 April 2014|newspaper=The Independent}}</ref> both productions featuring [[Duncan Preston]] as Atticus Finch. The play also opened the 2013 season at [[Regent's Park Open Air Theatre]] in London where it played to full houses and starred [[Robert Sean Leonard]] as Atticus Finch, his first London appearance in 22 years. The production returned to the venue to close the 2014 season, prior to a UK tour.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://openairtheatre.com/blog/to-kill-a-mockingbird-returns/ |title=To Kill A Mockingbird Returns |website=openairtheatre.com |publisher=[[Open Air Theatre]] |access-date=May 6, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/robert-sean-leonard-on-to-kill-a-mockingbird-house-and-turning-down-tom-stoppard |title=Robert Sean Leonard on To Kill A Mockingbird, House and turning down Tom Stoppard |work=Timeout.com |first=Andrzej |last=Lukowski |date=29 June 2015 |access-date=20 August 2021 }}</ref>

According to a ''[[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]]'' article, the novel is so revered in Monroeville that people quote lines from it like Scripture; however, Harper Lee herself refused to attend any performances, because "she abhors anything that trades on the book's fame".<ref>Newman, Cathy (January 2006). [http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0601/feature8/?fs=www3.nationalgeographic.com&fs=plasma.nationalgeographic.com To Catch a Mockingbird] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061117192609/http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0601/feature8/?fs=www3.nationalgeographic.com |date=2006-11-17 }}, ''National Geographic''. Retrieved on November 11, 2007.</ref> To underscore this sentiment, Lee demanded that a book of recipes named ''Calpurnia's Cookbook'' not be published and sold out of the Monroe County Heritage Museum.<ref>Robinson, David. [http://living.scotsman.com/features/The-one-and-only.2770816.jp The One and Only], ''The Scotsman''. Retrieved on March 29, 2008.</ref> David Lister in ''The Independent'' states that Lee's refusal to speak to reporters made them desire to interview her all the more, and her silence "makes [[Bob Dylan]] look like a media tart".<ref>Lister, David (July 10, 2010). [https://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/columnists/david-lister/david-lister-those-reclusive-authors-really-know-how-to-live-2023180.html David Lister: Those reclusive authors really know how to live], ''The Independent''. Retrieved on July 10, 2010.</ref> Despite her discouragement, a rising number of tourists made Monroeville their destination, hoping to see Lee's inspiration for the book, or Lee herself. Local residents call them "Mockingbird groupies", and although Lee was not reclusive, she refused publicity and interviews with an emphatic "Hell, no!"<ref>Pressley, Sue (June 10, 1996). "Quiet Author, Home Town Attract 'Groupies,' Press; To Live With 'Mockingbird'", ''[[The Washington Post]]'' p. A3</ref>

In 2018, a [[To Kill a Mockingbird (2018 play)|new adaptation]] was written by [[Aaron Sorkin]], debuting on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Alter |first1=Alexandra |title=Harper Lee Estate Told to Pay $2.5 Million in Dispute Over 'Mockingbird' Plays |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/10/theater/harper-lee-to-kill-a-mockingbird.html |access-date=1 September 2023 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=10 February 2022}}</ref> The Broadway production was nominated for nine [[Tony Awards]], winning one.<ref>{{cite web |title=To Kill a Mockingbird - Broadway Play - Original - Awards |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/to-kill-a-mockingbird-518644#Awards |website=ibdb.com |publisher=[[The Broadway League]] |access-date=1 September 2023}}</ref>