Excerpt terms and conditions

This excerpt is available

to assist you in the play
selection process.

Excerpts are not intended for

performance, classroom or
other academic use. In any
of these cases you will need
to purchase playbooks via
our website or by phone, fax
or mail.

A short excerpt is not always

indicative of the entire work,
and we strongly suggest you
read the whole play before
planning a production or
ordering a cast quantity.
 Mockingbird

By
JULIE JENSEN

From the novel by

KATHRYN ERSKINE

Dramatic Publishing Company

Woodstock, Illinois • Australia • New Zealand • South Africa

© Dramatic Publishing
 *** NOTICE ***
The amateur and stock acting rights to this work are controlled exclusively by THE
DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC., without whose permission in
writing no performance of it may be given. Royalty must be paid every time a play
is performed whether or not it is presented for profit and whether or not admission
is charged. A play is performed any time it is acted before an audience. Current
royalty rates, applications and restrictions may be found at our website: www.
dramaticpublishing.com, or we may be contacted by mail at: THE DRAMATIC
PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC., 311 Washington St., Woodstock, IL 60098.

COPYRIGHT LAW GIVES THE AUTHOR OR THE AUTHOR’S AGENT THE

EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO MAKE COPIES. This law provides authors with a fair
return for their creative efforts. Authors earn their living from the royalties they
receive from book sales and from the performance of their work. Conscientious
observance of copyright law is not only ethical, it encourages authors to continue
their creative work. This work is fully protected by copyright. No alterations,
deletions or substitutions may be made in the work without the prior written consent
of the publisher. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording,
videotape, film, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission
in writing from the publisher. It may not be performed either by professionals or
amateurs without payment of royalty. All rights, including, but not limited to, the
professional, motion picture, radio, television, videotape, foreign language, tabloid,
recitation, lecturing, publication and reading, are reserved.

For performance of any songs, music and recordings mentioned in this play that are in copyright,
the permission of the copyright owners must be obtained or other songs and recordings in the
public domain substituted.

©MMXIX by JULIE JENSEN

Based on the book Mockingbird by KATHRYN ERSKINE

For inquiries concerning all other rights, contact:

Bookstop Literary Agency, LLC
67 Meadow View Rd.
Orinda, CA 94563 • Phone: (925) 254-2664

Printed in the United States of America

All Rights Reserved
(MOCKINGBIRD)

ISBN: 978-1-61959-211-7

© Dramatic Publishing
 IMPORTANT BILLING AND CREDIT REQUIREMENTS
All producers of the play must give credit to the author of the play, the
underlying work, and the book author in all programs distributed in connection
with performances of the play and in all instances in which the title of the play
appears for purposes of advertising, publicizing or otherwise exploiting the play
and/or a production. The name of the author must also appear on a separate
line, on which no other name appears, immediately following the title, and must
appear in size of type not less than fifty percent (50%) the size of the title type.
The title of the underlying work must also appear on a separate line, on which
no other name appears, immediately following the name of the author and must
appear in size of type not less than fifty percent (50%) the size of the title type of
the Play. The name of the book author must appear on a separate line, on which
no other name appears, immediately following the title of the underlying work
and must appear in size of type not less than fifty percent (50%) the size type of
the name of the author. The credit shall appear as follows:
MOCKINGBIRD
by
Julie Jensen
Based on the book MOCKINGBIRD by Kathryn Erskine
Winner of The National Book Award
Biographical information on the author of the play and the book author must be
used in all programs. In all programs this notice must appear:

“Produced by special arrangement with

THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC., of Woodstock, Illinois.”

In addition, all producers of the play must include the following acknowledgment
on the title page of all programs distributed in connection with performances of
the play and on all advertising and promotional materials:

“Mockingbird was commissioned by The John F. Kennedy Center for the

Performing Arts and was first produced at the Kennedy Center during the
2014-2015 season.”

© Dramatic Publishing
Mockingbird received its world premiere at the Kennedy
Center in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 17, 2015.

CAST:
CAITLIN.............................................................. Dylan Silver
DAD.................................................... Maboud Ebrahimzadeh
MRS. BROOK.............................. Gabriela Fernandez Coffey
MRS. JOHNSON..............................................Susan Lynskey
JOSH, SCHOOL KID,
FUNERAL GUEST............................................. Thony Mena
EMMA, SCHOOL KID, FUNERAL GUEST,
CAITLIN UNDERSTUDY.................................... Tia Shearer
BRIANNA, SCHOOL KID,
FUNERAL GUEST............................................ Kathryn Tkel
SHANE, MR. SCHNEIDER,
SCHOOL KID, FUNERAL GUEST............... Rex Daugherty
MICHAEL, JOSE, WILLIAM H,
FUNERAL GUEST............................................ Aaron Bliden

PRODUCTION:
Director............................................................ Tracy Callahan
Scenic Designer............................................. Misha Kachman
Costume Designer................................................ Deb Savigny
Lighting Designer............................................ Andrew Cissna
Sound Designer............................................Christopher Baine
Production Designer................................................Lauren Joy
Properties Artisan..................................................... Tim Jones
Movement Consultant.............................................. Elena Day
Original Music........................................R. MacKenzie Lewis
Production Stage Manager...................................Karen Currie
Casting Director............................................. Michelle Kozlak
Producing Director........................................ Kim Peter Kovac
Executive Producer........................................Darrell M. Ayers

4
© Dramatic Publishing
 Mockingbird
CHARACTERS
CAITLIN: An 11-year-old girl, on the autistic spectrum. She
may have a curious speech pattern, may speak too loudly,
too precisely. Longer passages of her dialogue might be
delivered quickly and mechanically. She hardly ever
looks at people and avoids physical touch. She may also
have physical tics and various routinized behaviors, like
sucking her sleeve, rocking, moaning, shaking her hands
and jumping in patterns.
DAD: Caitlin’s father.
MRS. BROOK: Caitlin’s school counselor.
MRS. JOHNSON: Caitlin’s fifth-grade teacher.
ENSEMBLE (3m., 2w.) who play:
MICHAEL: Caitlin’s friend, first-grader. May be missing
his r’s.
JOSH: School bully, fifth-grader.
EMMA: A leader, fifth-grader.
BRIANNA: Pretty, trendsetter, fifth-grader.
SHANE: Energetic boy, fifth-grader.
JOSE: A follower, fifth-grader.
WILLIAM H: A boy more extreme on the autism spectrum.
MR. SCHNEIDER: Michael’s father.
FUNERAL GUESTS
FIRST-GRADERS

NOTE: The play can be performed by a company of nine

actors. More actors might be useful, even advantageous.

5
© Dramatic Publishing
 SETTING
We are in a neutral space. The addition of the simplest of
objects suggests several places: the living room of Caitlin’s
home (a sofa), her classroom at school (actor blocks), her
counselor’s office (two swivel chairs) and the schoolyard. The
only constant on the stage is a wooden chest, the unfinished
Eagle Scout project of Caitlin’s brother, Devon. For much of
the play it is covered with a gray sheet.
Movement from scene to scene, including rearrangement of
set pieces, should occur as part of the action, part of the chaos
and confusion that groups present to Caitlin. Please avoid
blackouts.

A WORD ABOUT PRODUCTION

We are experiencing Caitlin’s world from her point of view.
Group scenes are frightening, chaotic, dangerous and noisy.
These scenes should be carefully planned, the movement
precise in its exaggeration, some of it in unison, some in slow
motion, sometimes characters are frozen.
Projections of Caitlin’s drawings might be used. Some of
the words Caitlin defines or wonders about might also be
projected.

A NOTE ABOUT THE TEXT:

Underlined passages indicate narration, perhaps to the
audience, perhaps as an internal monologue from and to
Caitlin herself. In general, the ensemble is frozen during
Caitlin’s narrative passages.
Stage directions are fairly detailed, based on the direction of
Tracy Callahan, and meant to suggest how the group scenes in
particular might look, the style, the physicality.

6
© Dramatic Publishing
 Mockingbird
1.

(The living room of CAITLIN’s home.)

CAITLIN. It looks like a one-winged bird crouching in the

corner of the living room. Hurt. Trying to fly. When the heat
pump turns on and blows the sheet, it lifts up and flutters
like it will take flight, and then it falls back down again.
Still and dead.
Underneath the sheet is Devon’s Eagle Scout project. It is a
wooden chest, which is three feet two inches tall, four feet
three inches wide, and two feet one inch deep. It weighs
sixty-seven pounds and is hard on the outside and cavernous
on the inside. Cavernous. “Cavernous” means “filled with
cavities or hollow areas.”
It is not sanded yet, so it can still give you slivers. But I
do not know how it will ever be finished. Because Devon
is gone. The bird will be trying to fly but never getting
anywhere. Just floating and falling. Floating and falling.
(Jumping in rhythm.) Floating and falling, floating and
falling, floating and falling, floating and falling.

(Suddenly an influx of people, moving in unison using

different postures of grief. CAITLIN runs to the sofa to hide.
DAD tries to coax her out.)

7
© Dramatic Publishing
8 Mockingbird

2.
DAD. Caitlin. Caitlin. Caitlin, the whole town is upset by
what happened.

(ENSEMBLE in unison beat their chests.)

CAITLIN. I don’t care.

DAD. But they want to help.

(ENSEMBLE in unison beat their chests.)

CAITLIN. How?
DAD. They want to be with you now, after the funeral. Talk
to you. Take you places.
CAITLIN. I don’t want to be with them or talk to them or go
to places with them.
DAD. They want to help you deal with life … without Devon.

(ENSEMBLE gasps and freezes.)

CAITLIN. I don’t know what that means.

(ENSEMBLE undulates around her, noisy and confusing,

calling her name.)

DAD. You remember Sammy …

(His face is suddenly next to hers.)

CAITLIN. No.
DAD. Look at the person, Caitlin.

(CAITLIN looks quickly, then away.)

© Dramatic Publishing
 Mockingbird 9

CAITLIN. I still do not remember.

(A woman pops up next to her.)

FUNERAL GUEST #1. I am your second cousin, Caitlin. I

don’t think we’ve met. It was a NICE service, didn’t you
think it was NICE? Didn’t you think it was NICE, all the
NICE things they said about Devon?

(ENSEMBLE joins in repetition of “nice.”)

CAITLIN. They did not know him.

(Another guest swoops in too close.)

FUNERAL GUEST #2. I love your drawings, Caitlin. You’re

a very talented artist. Will you draw something for me?
CAITLIN. I only draw for me.

(Another guest lunges toward her.)

FUNERAL GUEST #3. My, my, aren’t you lucky to have so

many relatives?
CAITLIN. I do not feel lucky.

(Another guest pops up from behind the couch, stepping

over the back and standing on it.)

FUNERAL GUEST #4. Oh my dear, you POOR dear.

ENSEMBLE. POOR.
FUNERAL GUEST #5. You POOR, POOR dear.
ENSEMBLE. POOR, POOR dear.
FUNERAL GUEST #1. Left all alone.
CAITLIN. I’m not all alone.

© Dramatic Publishing
10 Mockingbird

FUNERAL GUEST #2. The tragedy that has struck

our family, just unimaginable. First your dear mother.
(ENSEMBLE gasps.) Now your dear brother. (ENSEMBLE
gasps.) Oh, you POOR, POOR dear.
ENSEMBLE. Poor, poor dear.
CAITLIN. We are not poor. “Poor” means “having insufficient
money to live at a standard that is considered comfortable.”

(CAITLIN pulls at her father’s coat. He is frozen.)

FUNERAL GUEST #3. And you, you POOR dear.

ENSEMBLE. Poor dear.
FUNERAL GUEST #4. With all your challenges. We must
all remember, at a time like this, that the Lord never gives
us more obstacles than we can overcome.

(FUNERAL GUEST #4 moves to embrace CAITLIN. DAD

intercepts. When CAITLIN turns, MRS. BROOK and MRS.
JOHNSON are there.)

MRS. BROOK. Hello, Caitlin.

CAITLIN. Hello.

(They hook pinkies, a shared gesture.)

MRS. BROOK. We’ll talk about all this at school in the next
few days. Try not to feel overwhelmed.
CAITLIN. I do not know what that means. I know what is
“over.” I do not know what is “whelmed.”
MRS. JOHNSON. Caitlin, if you ever want to talk about what
happened, you just let me know.

(She tries unsuccessfully for the shared gesture.)

CAITLIN. That is what Mrs. Brook is for.

© Dramatic Publishing
 Mockingbird 11

MRS. JOHNSON. Maybe we could all sit down together.

CAITLIN. Why?
MRS. JOHNSON. So we know where you’re coming from.
CAITLIN. I come from here.
MRS. JOHNSON. I’m sorry. I meant so we all know how
you’re feeling.
CAITLIN. Mrs. Brook knows how I am feeling, so you can
ask her. Otherwise it would be superfluous. Superfluous.
“Superfluous” means “exceeding what is sufficient or
necessary.”
MRS. JOHNSON. I just thought it would be nice to take some
time to sit and chat.
CAITLIN. “Superfluous” also means “marked by wastefulness.”
MRS. JOHNSON. Well, OK, then. I suppose I can talk with
Mrs. Brook.

(ENSEMBLE freezes.)

CAITLIN. That is Mrs. Johnson, my teacher. She does not move

away. That means she is waiting for me to say something. I
don’t care for that. I almost start sucking my sleeve, but then
I remember. And I say what I’m supposed to say.
Thank you.
ENSEMBLE. NO!
CAITLIN. I mean, you’re welcome.

(CAITLIN runs to an imaginary chart DC and counts the

stickers.)

CAITLIN (cont’d). Four more and I get to watch a video.

FUNERAL GUEST #5. Well, won’t that be nice?
CAITLIN. What will be nice?

© Dramatic Publishing
12 Mockingbird

FUNERAL GUEST #5. Your video.

(FUNERAL GUEST #5 approaches.)

CAITLIN. That lady in the puffy dress. She looks like a cloud.
FUNERAL GUEST #5. Would you like this piece of candy?
CAITLIN. I don’t know.
FUNERAL GUEST #5. Sure you would …
CAITLIN. I have never had your candy before, so I don’t
know if I would like it.
FUNERAL GUEST #5. Take it. Try it.

(She puts a piece of candy in CAITLIN’s hand.)

FUNERAL GUEST #5 (cont’d). Have another?

CAITLIN. No.
FUNERAL GUEST #5. Oh, go ahead. I won’t tell. Heh-heh-
heh. (A shrill laugh.)
CAITLIN. “Oh, go ahead. I won’t tell. Heh-heh-heh. Oh, go
ahead, I won’t tell. Heh-heh-heh.”

(She pulls away and circles as the ENSEMBLE circles and

exits. She runs to DAD. He reaches out to touch her, then
pulls back.)

DAD. It’s OK, Caitlin. They’re gone. It’s just you and me now.

(CAITLIN picks up her bookbag and traces a circuitous

route to MRS. BROOKS’ office.)

3.
CAITLIN. I am back at school, but first I have to see Mrs.
Brook. Her job is called school counselor. She explains
how to do things. Sometimes I do not get it.

© Dramatic Publishing
 Mockingbird 13

MRS. BROOK. Hi, Caitlin.

CAITLIN. I look at the chart and nod. Which means I am
listening even if there is no eye contact. Not much has
changed in this room since I’ve been gone, except the mad
face on the “Facial Expressions” chart now has a mustache.
I know because I have looked at that chart about a million
times to figure out which emotion goes with each face. I’m
not very good at it.
MRS. BROOK. So how are you? (She reaches out for the pinky
link.) How are you feeling?

(CAITLIN sucks on her sleeve and stares at the chart.)

CAITLIN. I feel like TiVo.

MRS. BROOK. Say again?
CAITLIN. Tee-Voh.
MRS. BROOK. What’s that?
CAITLIN. I fast-forward through the bad parts and all of a sudden
I’m watching something and I’m not sure how I got there.
MRS. BROOK. I see.
CAITLIN (looking around). What do you see?
MRS. BROOK. I think you’d like to forget about the painful
events you’ve been through.
CAITLIN. I want to tell her that I prefer TiVo on mute and I
would like to mute her too. But if I say that, she will say,
“Let’s talk about that.”
MRS. BROOK. The funeral must have been very difficult.
CAITLIN. No. Some of them looked at me, which I did not care
for, and some of them touched me, which I also did not care
for, but no one laughed like cracking glass and there were no
lightning movements and no one appeared out of nowhere.

© Dramatic Publishing
14 Mockingbird

MRS. BROOK. Let’s talk about that.

(CAITLIN turns around in her chair.)

MRS. BROOK (cont’d). Did you cry at the funeral?

(CAITLIN shakes her head.)

CAITLIN. Dad cried.

MRS. BROOK. Did that upset you?

(CAITLIN grips her chair and begins to rock.)

CAITLIN. I did not care for it.

MRS. BROOK. Why not?
CAITLIN. I don’t know.
MRS. BROOK. Were you sad for him?
CAITLIN. I don’t know.
MRS. BROOK. Were you uncomfortable?
CAITLIN. I don’t know.

(MRS. BROOK steadies CAITLIN’s chair.)

MRS. BROOK. Can you try to answer the questions, please?

CAITLIN. I don’t know what the question is.
MRS. BROOK. Did it make you uncomfortable?
CAITLIN. I don’t know what is “uncomfortable.” I only
know what is “comfortable.”
MRS. BROOK. Very well, then, what is “comfortable”?
CAITLIN. My head under the cushion, reading my dictionary,
wrapped up in my purple fleece. I did not have any of those
things at the funeral.
Yes.

© Dramatic Publishing
 Mockingbird 15

MRS. BROOK. Yes, what?

CAITLIN. Yes, I was uncomfortable.
MRS. BROOK. Why?
CAITLIN. I don’t know. Please stop asking me questions.
MRS. BROOK. You know, your father is sad.

(CAITLIN looks at the “Facial Expressions” chart.)

CAITLIN. Why?
MRS. BROOK. He misses Devon.
CAITLIN. Oh. Miss. “Miss” is an interesting word. For
example, there is “miss” as in “Miss Harper is the principal.”
There is “miss” as in “You will miss your bus if you step on
every crack.” And there is “miss” like dead.
MRS. BROOK. Do you miss Devon?
CAITLIN. I don’t know. “Miss” is not on the “Facial
Expressions” chart.
MRS. BROOK. Maybe we’ll have to think about what that
looks like.
CAITLIN. Devon is not completely gone away.
MRS. BROOK. That’s true. Because a part of Devon will
always be with you.
CAITLIN. There are no parts of Devon left because he was
cremated, which means burned up into ashes.
MRS. BROOK. You’ll miss Devon, but he’ll always be with
you. Just in a different way.
CAITLIN. I don’t want him in a different way. I want him in
the same way. When he makes me popcorn and hot chocolate
and when he tells me what to say and what clothes to wear
so kids won’t laugh at me and when he plays basketball and
gives me a chance to win by going the wrong way when
I do a fake. That’s the Devon I want. Not the one floating
around in the air.

© Dramatic Publishing
16 Mockingbird

(Sound of a cellphone.)

CAITLIN (cont’d). If you do not answer the phone, you will

“miss” your call.
MRS. BROOK (answering her cellphone). Hello. I’m with a
student right now. But if you check in the freezer, I’m sure
you’ll find something …

(CAITLIN ducks to the floor. She rubs a rough spot on the

chair. MRS. BROOK hangs up.)

MRS. BROOK (cont’d). Caitlin! Caitlin!

(CAITLIN rubs harder.)

CAITLIN. I can’t stop it! I can’t stop it! I can’t stop it.

(CAITLIN rubs harder.)

MRS. BROOK. Caitlin! I’m talking to you!

(CAITLIN looks at her hand and sees blood.)

CAITLIN. No! I have to erase the blood! No! I have to erase

the blood. No! I have to erase the blood.

(She circles, wipes hands on her thighs, pounds her chest

and head, totally out of control, a complete meltdown.
Finally she picks up her book bag and runs out, anxiously
arriving home. She plops down on the floor with her
sketchbook. DAD enters.)

© Dramatic Publishing