MONROEVILLE, Ala. -- The death of "To Kill a Mockingbird" author Harper Lee hasn't hurt ticket sales for a dramatic version of her novel staged each year in her Alabama hometown.

A statement issued by play organizers Monday says only a few hundred tickets remain for the 16 performances, which begin next month in Monroeville.

This is the first year the play will be produced by a non-profit organization formed last year in Lee's name. The production was previously overseen by a museum located in the old county courthouse that served as a set model for the film version of "Mockingbird."

Lee died Feb. 19 at age 89. A statement from her attorney and the executor of her estate, Tonja Carter, says volunteers putting on the play are working tirelessly to honour Lee.