Red Carpet Ready: Riverside Theater Honors Cast of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’
- Potomac Local News
May 8, 2025
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Broadway is meeting the ‘Burg this weekend as Fredericksburg native Tug Coker takes center stage as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird at the Riverside Center for the Performing Arts. The show opened Wednesday, May 7, and a special red-carpet celebration is set for Friday, May 9.
Coker, who was raised in Fredericksburg and graduated from Fredericksburg Academy, brings an impressive résumé to the Riverside stage. Known for his roles on Broadway and on hit shows like The Office, Billions, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, this marks his first professional performance in his hometown. He studied theater at the College of William and Mary and played professional basketball overseas before pursuing acting full-time.
Friday’s red-carpet evening begins with dinner at 5:30 p.m. Guests are invited to celebrate with the cast at 6:30 p.m. in the lobby as they make their red-carpet entrance. The curtain rises at 7:30 p.m.
The production, based on Harper Lee’s classic novel, has been adapted for the stage by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Riverside Artistic Director Patrick A’Hearn. The story tackles racial injustice and moral growth in a small Southern town, themes that remain deeply resonant today.
Coker told Potomac Local News he sees this as a chance to bring meaningful theater home. “To come back to Fredericksburg and work on such an important piece of literature and theater—especially a role like Atticus Finch—is a full-circle moment for me,” he said.
To Kill a Mockingbird will run through June 22. Tickets and more information are available at riversidedt.com.