A Time to Kill

Stage adaptation of the novel by John Grisham that tells the story of a young, idealistic lawyer, Jack Brigance, defending a black man, Carl Lee Hailey, for taking the law into his own hands following an unspeakable crime committed against his young daughter.

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Over 30 productions around the U.S. | Available for license through Playscripts

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Reviews

With performers on the level of John Douglas Thompson and [Patrick] Page, you can be guaranteed a certain complement of gripping exchanges and stirring orations.  — Review by Scott Brown from Vulture

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[John Douglas] Thompson lends a palpable weight and gravity to his performance as Carl Lee, whose belief that his actions were justified makes him squirm with anguish at the idea that he’ll hang for his crimes. — Review by Charles Isherwood from The New York Times

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James Noone’s expressive set, made almost entirely of polished wood and sensuously curved like the staves of a barrel, has the mellow glow (provided by lighting designer Jeff Croiter) you’d expect to find in an old country courthouse in the Deep South. — Review by Marilyn Stasio from Variety

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“A thriller of the sort rarely seen on Broadway these days.”— Bloomberg

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[Tom] Skerritt nicely pulls off a charming disgraced and drunken lawyer and [Fred Dalton] Thompson is a sure-footed judge, perfectly cast. — Review by Mark Kennedy from Associated Press

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Video https://www.broadway.com/shows/time-kill/

 

Analysis

Dramaturgy:  Great Story, bravura roles

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• 14 actors, multi-racial cast

• Tom Skerritt and Fred Dalton Thompson making their Broadway debuts

 

Story Elements;  powerful story

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• Ensemble courtroom drama

• Award-winning playwright Rupert Holmes

 

Cost:  Modest Budget

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• Unit set

 

Marketing:  Significant subsidiary Market Potential

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• Region and amateur theaters around the world

• 20 productions around the U.S. to date

 

Available for license through Playscripts