‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ update takes Atticus ‘off the pedestal,’ says star Richard Thomas

Nothing raises the hackles of drama purists quite like reshaping a familiar character, but if anyone could be trusted to do that, it might be Richard Thomas.

Known for his portrayal of the responsible John-Boy on the 1970s TV show “The Waltons,” which earned him an Emmy, Thomas went on to dozens of roles in small- and large-screen productions and on stage, snagging a 2017 Tony nomination for “The Little Foxes.”

For two years, Thomas has toured as Atticus Finch, the Depression-era Alabama lawyer struggling with personal morals and societal pressures while defending a Black man falsely accused of rape in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The show opens Feb. 6 at the Providence Performing Arts Center.

Richard Thomas stars as Atticus Finch in the touring production “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s prize-winning story, at Providence Performing Arts Center from Feb. 6-11.

It was a role he wanted from the moment he heard it was being cast, but Thomas stresses that this isn’t a Gregory Peck-esque interpretation of Atticus, nor is the production entirely faithful to Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel or the 1962 movie adaptation. The reason? The message woven into the trial and Atticus’ relationships with his family and community, he says, have become more meaningful.

The most notable change by director Bartlett Sher was to shift Atticus into the protagonist role originally occupied by Scout, his daughter and the story’s narrator, and humanize him.

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“Bart took Atticus off the pedestal. In the movie version, Atticus is less approachable and more idealized. But he has life off the page,” Thomas says, noting post-show conversations with actual lawyers from the audience. “They talk about him as if he were their mentor and had great influence on their lives.”

In doing so, the audience witnesses Atticus’ loss of innocence as small-town anger simmers during the trial. His evolution almost parallels the experience of his children, Scout and son Jem, Thomas says.

Tom Robinson, right, played by Yaegel T. Welch, is questioned on the stand by Atticus Finch, played by Richard Thomas, in “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

“This is a wonderful character,” Thomas says. “This adaptation does not betray Harper Lee’s story, but suggests things that make for a better piece of dramatic work and address topics of social justice that we still have now.”

The craftsman in him also worked to personalize Atticus, he says.

“I wanted him to be a small-town lawyer in the South who is comfortable in his position and respected in the community. He’s got it all together, until it falls apart,” Thomas says. “He should be really accessible and not larger than life.”

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Other updates in the touring production enliven the story’s Black characters: the accused, Tom Robinson, and Finch family housekeeper Calpurnia, Thomas says.

“It’s the same story, but changes are made more in the name of dramatic impact to portray more accurately the way we’re looking at these issues now,” he says, adding that the show blends universal themes like growing up and parenthood with “the demon of racism and slavery.”

“This is our story as Americans.”

Scout Backus and Richard Thomas in “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

Despite such deep currents, adaptor Aaron Sorkin added humor that those familiar with the book or film might find surprising.

“It’s funnier than people expect, which is great,” Thomas says. “It’s our job to disabuse people of the preconceptions they bring into the theater. I could not be more physically and vocally different than Greg Peck, and that’s a good thing. People should watch and forget those preconceptions.”

The key, he adds, is balance.

“People expect relentlessly serious,” he says. “Aaron Sorkin is able to balance light and shadow in the course of the piece. It’s two sides of the coin of life.”

What: “To Kill a Mockingbird”

Where: Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset St., Providence

When: Feb. 6-11

Tickets: $59-119

Info: (401) 421-2787, ppacri.org

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ explores modern themes says star Richard Thomas