SEATTLE — It's as timely as it is timeless.
The classic American novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird" explores themes of racism and social justice. But this Aaron Sorkin-penned stage production, now playing at the Paramount Theater, also delves deeper into the vulnerabilities of its characters.
"That's why this isn't just a sort of museum picture of 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' but, I think, a very vibrant rethinking of the themes of the play," the play's star, Richard Thomas said.
Thomas plays Alabama attorney Atticus Finch, fighting to save the life of a wrongfully accused Black man.
Melanie Moore is his strong-willed daughter, Scout.
"She can't be anything other than honest," Moore said of her character.
The two actors' paths to the stage traveled through network TV in very different ways.
Thomas rose to fame in the 70s with "The Waltons."
"Obviously it was a great part in a show that I'm very proud of," he said.
Fans still greet him with the show's familiar sign-off, "Goodnight John-Boy."
"Oh, yeah," Thomas said. "In the grocery store, on the street, anywhere. It's great."
Moore was the Season 8 winner of "So You Think You Can Dance" and it changed her life.
"Before that I was just in college," Moore said.
"So You Think You Can Dance" launched a career in Broadway musicals. But this is her first play.
So she thinks she can act?
"Exactly," Moore laughed. "I get to test that out nightly depending on the audience."
Thomas' acting recently took a villainous turn on the juicy Netflix drama "Ozark."
"Ozark was such a guilty pleasure," Thomas said. "I loved it."
That artistic versatility comes in handy for this production's wide emotional range.
"Be careful how much you're laughing because you're gonna cry just as much," Moore cautioned. "And at the end of the show a lot of times when I see people by the stage door, they're like, 'I cried so hard,' and I'm like, 'Good. So did I. We were in it together.'"
For a story set in the 1930s, "To Kill a Mockingbird" feels all-too relevant to the struggles of today.
"We all share in this story," Thomas said. "The story of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' is very much a picture of us as a people and as a nation."
"To Kill a Mockingbird" is playing at the Paramount Theater through Sunday. Check this link for tickets.
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