MANSFIELD, Ohio — Ten organizations in and around Mansfield, Ohio, including several coin laundries, have joined forces to promote a Community Read Program for the 1960 Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The Renaissance Performing Arts Association is spearheading the reading initiative, with support from Mayor Don Culliver’s office.The Culliver Reading Center will introduce the novel to its Book Club and Focus program, and students will attend a stage performance of the book’s story and recreate scenes from the novel.Copies of To Kill a Mockingbird will be available around town through the Mansfield City Schools Laundry Basket Program. Participants include Clean Jeans Laundromat, Colonial Coin Laundromat, Thrifty Wash Laundromat, and many other businesses and groups.The performance of To Kill a Mockingbird will take place at the Renaissance Theater April 9, and community discussion groups will take place at the Eisenhower Student Union at the Ohio State University – Mansfield Feb. 3 and Main Street Books Feb. 19.Friends of the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library have donated 425 paperback copies of the book to the main library and its branches for the program. The group will host a discussion April 4 at the Madison branch of the library and April 7 at the Bellville branch.Students and teachers from Mansfield Senior High School and Lexington High School are planning a joint discussion at the Renaissance Theatre, led by teachers and students. This event will be open to the public.Two teacher-members from the Ohio Education Association will be available to participate in the program as well. Each will receive a copy of the novel for all of their students, and they’ll participate in discussion groups, debates and writing activities.
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