Adapted to the stage, the play version of To Kill a Mockingbird retains the compassion for which Harper Lee's famous novel is known.

"Despite the themes of racial injustice and innocence in the play it still contains the warmth and humor for which the novel is renowned, which is an important thing," Director Susanna Ritti said.

The well-known story of Jem and Scout Finch, two children growing up in the deep South during the Great Depression in the 1930s, will be performed 8 p.m. July 23 to 26 and July 29 to August 2 at the Boal Barn Playhouse, 300 Old Boalsburg Road.

It's a story of racial injustice and destruction of innocence seen through eyes of two children trying to figure out their father, Ritti said.

"They don't understand him at first," she said. "And then they realize what a truly great man he is."

In the novel, Atticus Finch is a lawyer who must defend a young black man wrongfully accused of raping a white woman.

Kevin Murphy, who plays the role of Atticus Finch, said his character is a very honest man.

"He's upright and moral," Murphy said. "He is just trying best to raise his family in a very difficult time."

Though the play takes place more than 70 years ago, Murphy said the core messages, the importance of family and the journey of growing up, have not changed over the years and are still extremely relevant today.

Amir Abdullah, who plays Reverend Sykes, agreed with Murphy and said the novel is still important in society.

"The '30s seems like a long time ago, but it really wasn't," Abdullah (graduate-acting) said. "Some things have changed, but some are the same, and the importance of the play now is thinking forward and building through history."

The show is being put on by The State College Community Theatre. Ritti said one exciting thing when it comes to watching community theater is some of the actors have a lot of stage experience and some actors have very little experience -- but all of the actors work together and learn from each other.

The character of Mrs. Maude, the Finch family's neighbor, is played by Penn State alumna Rhiannon McClintock, Class of 2003.

Unlike many other local theaters, the Boal Barn Playhouse is theater in the round. This means the theater is set up so the audience surrounds the stage on all four sides, McClintock said.

"Having the audience surrounding you is the hardest part," McClintock said. "The actors have to make sure as many people can see them as possible and that they don't face one part of the audience for too long."

This performance features 20 cast members and every role is important no matter how small it may seem. This is because many of the actors double up in roles and each role is pivotal to moving the plot along, Ritti said.

Despite the large cast Abdullah said the children who play Jem (Nick Christie) and Scout (Sarah Seybert) are the characters he believes steal the show.

"It's interesting because children have the innate ability where they're not able to hide anything, for them acting comes naturally," he said.

While adults try to hide their emotions, the children don't hold anything back and do an incredible job of showing honest emotion, he said.

Murphy and Abdullah both said their favorite part of the play takes place during the famous courtroom scene.

"The courtroom scene is very powerful," Abdullah said. "I enjoy it because it features the entire cast and shows how the trial is affecting both the black and white communities."