Hopkins High: Trying not to ruffle feathers

Is using the n-word ever appropriate? Hopkins High School theater director Mark Hauck, who is white and doesn't know firsthand how much the word can hurt, wrestled with that choice for almost two months.

And Hopkins Principal Willie Jett, who is black, left the decision up to Hauck as he prepared to stage "To Kill a Mockingbird."

"We talked about that word for months," Jett said. "It was an educational journey he and his cast went through."

In the end, they chose not to use it in their production this week of Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1960 novel.

The drama tells the story of a white Depression-era lawyer in a small Southern town who defends a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman.

Hauck agonized over the play's language. He said he directed the actors to use other demeaning words such as "boy," but decided that using the n-word word would detract from the play's message and could offend the audience.

But he also worried about glossing over the gut-wrenching social realities of 1930s America that are portrayed in the novel.

Hopkins senior Philip Eschweiler, 17, of Golden Valley plays the drunk father of the white woman who was supposedly raped. He would have been the one to utter the n-word on stage.

"I don't really want to say this word," Eschweiler said after rehearsal earlier this week. He compared it to "a sledgehammer."

Adding to the drama is the color-blind casting Hauck employed.

Scout Finch, the main character and the 8-year-old daughter of the white lawyer, will be played by a black actress, Melia Readus, of Plymouth. Tom Robinson -- in the book, the black man falsely accused of rape -- will be played by Erin Hayward-Beagle, 16, who is white.

Readus, the 17-year-old leading lady, said she didn't think race was an important factor in her role as Scout.

Hauck said he's used open casting before, not only for race but also gender. He said it's the best solution at a high school that is more than 20 percent students of color.

"By doing open casting, I say all of these parts are open to everyone," Hauck said.

Reaction in the community to the themes in the play isn't clear yet, but Jett said. "It's going to be a learning opportunity for our community.

"It's an educational tool that will help people understand the context of where we were and address some of the things we as educators worry about."

Controversy over classic literature isn't new to the Twin Cities. Last spring, some St. Louis Park High School parents complained about the use of Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" in classroom studies.

The Chicago Public Library used "To Kill a Mockingbird" to launch its citywide reading program in 2001. Craig Davis, the adult services director for the library system, said it was a controversial choice. But he said the book is extremely well-written, accessible to teens and adults, and that it sparked powerful discussions at library branches all over the city.

"We can't ignore great literature because it delves into racism or other issues; those are teachable moments for people," he said.

In preparing for the play, Hauck had his "Mockingbird" cast research lynchings, including a 1920 mob incident in Duluth, where three black men were hanged.

"I couldn't get to sleep after looking at [one of the web] sites," Eschweiler said.

Jett said he worries about the fact that teens may have become desensitized to racially derogatory language as a result of hearing the n-word in music and movies.

Historical context helps students understand how hurtful and dangerous certain words were, he said.

Hopkins High parent Mark Zierden, who is white, supports the way Hauck has conducted auditions, casting and rehearsals for the play. Zierden, of Eden Prairie, and his wife, Kim, volunteer at the school. His daughter Samantha plays an angry townsperson in the production.

"It's not like we're doing 'Oklahoma,'" Zierden said. "Don't get me wrong, I love 'Oklahoma,' that's a nice play. But there are a lot of people and schools who celebrate Black History Month, while this play tells why there's a Black History Month."