Emily Reed Honors the Role of Scout in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

This is the third in a series
of posts about the Harper Lee
classic, being produced by
AthensWest Theatre Company.


Well, well, well. The Bluegrass' own Emily Reed is playing the role of the central character in one of America's most lauded plays! (They grow up so fast '-)


You have seen her on television in commercials. She's been in numerous plays in the Bluegrass, is an excellent student, and oh yeah, she is a twin -- her family call her and her brother supertwins -- and along with Annalisse Finch, Emily Reed is now playing the role of Scout (Miss Jean Louise)in AthensTheatre's presentation of To Kill A Mockingbird.

Emily tells me her decision to go out for the part was an easy one. "I was looking for a place to do a play, and then this came up -- and how can you not audition to be Scout?" she exclaims.

Reed considers Scout's impact on the overall story as pivotal. "She sets a point of view, and attaches the audience with the story."

For such a youngster, Reed has quite the resume. She has been on stage since elementary school, played Jasmine in Aladdin (middle school), a character who died in one production, and was in the chorus of the high school's production of High School Musical. She also recently performed with Ragged Edge Theater in Harrodsburg, she was in the chorus and played one of the 'poor unfortunate souls.' Most recently, she was Susan in Miracle On 34th Street (Bluegrass Theater Guild in Frankfort) and her role as Young Belle in Actors Guild of Lexington's performance of Belle Brezing. She has also been performing with Bluegrass Opera; was in the chorus of Elyria; and she played Tilda – a soloist and speaking part in Mothers of the Ludlow.

When asked to compare Scout with her role as Susan in Miracle on 34th Street, Emily says, "Scout is more of a tomboy and outgoing, while Susan is more analytical and somewhat sheltered by her mom.

Since both young girls who play the dually-cast role of Scout rehearse together, it's easy to see how one could lose focus during the process. Reed says the biggest hurdle in this performance is, "You memorizing lines for hours -- oh, and not getting distracted while the other 'Scout' is onstage!"

Click to see my earlier post about Emily:
http://kimmyville.blogspot.com/search?q=emily

As you can see, I am so proud to have watched this young girl grow as an actor and as a young lady. That's the great thing about writing for theatre, I have the pleasure of getting to know some very cool folks and whether they're 6 or 60, there is always room for growth, so it's fun to observe all that. For me, anyway.

I have full faith Emily's gonna be wonderful as Scout -- and I cannot WAIT to see her breathe life into the role as we watch this American classic unfold.
See you at the show!