SOUTH OTSELIC – You might think it would be difficult for students in an all-white cast to take on the racial issues and tensions portrayed in Harper Lee’s classic “To Kill a Mockingbird,” but the students at Otselic Valley have taken the challenge and will run with it on Friday and Saturday night.

The production is mostly student run. Students are in charge of the lighting, sound and set design. However this year, there is no student director.

“We graduated quite a few leads last year,” said faculty director Michael Foor-Pessin. The lack of a student director led to a different choice of play than in previous years, and the students will be performing a drama instead of a comedy.

Foor-Pessin said this is the perfect year for “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The play hasn’t been performed at OV in 26 years. “I’m excited about the audience reaction to the play now in light of the national elections,” he said. 

For the students, the play was more difficult than some because of the serious subject matter. “This was harder than any play I’ve ever done,” said Richard Lapuszynski, who plays Sheriff Heck Tate in the play. “You have to mean it more, because it’s a lot more serious.”