Monroeville Alabama: To Kill a Mockingbird and Harper Lee

The man on trial is the character Tom Robinson from the Pulitzer Prize winning book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. And, the scene is from the stage adaptation that takes place annually in the Old Courtroom Museum in Monroeville, Alabama.

Monroeville

The story focuses on a black man (Tom Robinson) who is falsely accused of raping a white woman in Alabama's depression era. Robinson's appointed lawyer Atticus Finch and his two children, Scout and Jem, struggle against the racism of the '30s and a mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley.

Each year, the Mockingbird players, an all-local cast that have also performed globally, stage an incredible and poignant two-act performance of TKM on the courthouse lawn and in the Old Courthouse Museum (book ahead, the performances sell out quickly). The performance is riveting and the audience is part of a drama that would be impossible to experience by reading the book or watching the movie that starred Gregory Peck.

In addition, the cast members embody the characters so convincingly, you'll find yourself holding your breath at times, or wishing you could take the stand yourself.

The Old Courthouse Museum is open to the public during the day. Walk through the courtroom where Lee's father was a lawyer in court, while she often watched from the balcony. Visit two rooms in the Courthouse Heritage Museum that feature Harper Lee and Truman Capote, replete with fascinating histories, photos, memorabilia and stills from the TKM movie.

Many fans of Lee's book often wonder if Boo Radely was a real person. If you ask the town's people, they will tell you he is and point out his home that you can see on the Monroeville Walking Tour.

Monroeville, considered the literary capital, is a small, yet charismatic town that beckons to be explored, a town that still resonates warm summer nights, cricket chirps and sweet tea on the porch. Yet, it is filled with numerous shops, excellent art galleries, restaurants and a wonderful walking tour that focuses on three different aspects of the town's past and present. The tour even ventures past Lee's high school and her old home site with loads of information, photos and anecdotes about Lee and the captivating town of Monroeville.

Shops and Galleries to explore: Beehive Coffee and Books, Williams Pottery, the Heritage Museum Gift Shop, The Art Room, the Hole In The Wall Art Studio, Dickie Williams Museum, and the Purple Papaya Art Gallery.