‘Mockingbird’ actress kicks off Big Read

Here’s your chance to meet one of the most beloved literary (and cinematic) characters of all time: Scout, from “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

Mary Badham, the actress who played Scout in the 1962 movie, will make a special appearance on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at the Lincoln Center, 1316 N. Lincoln St. She’ll talk about that role and about the enduring messages of Harper Lee’s classic novel.

This is the launch party for the Spokane Big Read, a community-wide reading event focused on “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

Here are a few Badham details:

• She’s the younger sister of director John Badham (“Saturday Night Fever”).

• She had no movie experience when she landed the role of Scout.

• She was nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar – but was beaten out by another child actress, Patty Duke in “The Miracle Worker.”

• She played a few other roles as a child, and is second-best-known for appearing in the final “Twilight Zone” episode in 1964, “The Bewitching Pool.”

• Her only significant role as an adult was in 2005’s “Our Very Own,” starring Allison Janney and Keith Carradine.

• She now works as an art restorer and college testing coordinator in Virginia.

This is just the first of many Spokane Big Read events over the next few weeks, including mock trials, reader’s theater, book discussions and screenings of the film (see accompanying schedule).

All are free and open to the public. The Big Read is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, and is organized locally by the Spokane Public Library and the Spokane County Library District.

A Get Lit! bargain

Tickets for all of this year’s Get Lit! events (April 15-21) are now on sale and here’s some excellent news: A new Festival Pass will get you into all six ticketed events for $65.

Considering that most of those events are $20 (and one at $25), that’s a smart deal for anyone who wants to go to at least four of them.

The big names this year include Richard Russo, Jess Walter, Sallie Tisdale, Janet Fitch, Patricia Smith and Reza Aslan.

The Festival Pass and individual tickets are available through TicketsWest outlets (325-SEAT, 800-325-SEAT, www.ticketswest.com).

‘Selected Shorts’

Meanwhile, here’s some exciting news from Get Lit!

“Selected Shorts,” the public radio series produced by Public Radio International, will be part of the festival lineup. An episode will be recorded from the Bing Crosby Theater on April 16 at 7 p.m.

The show features actors reading classic and contemporary short stories.

Host Isaiah Sheffer will preside, along with guest actor James Naughton, who was in “The Devil Wears Prada” and has an impressive list of TV and Broadway roles. He won a Tony as Billy Flynn in “Chicago.”

Tickets are $25 – and yes, the Festival Pass will get you into this event, too.