The central themes of Harper Lee’s 1960 novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” — institutional racism; fairness in the judicial system; empathy (or lack thereof) for people who look or think differently — might seem like they were ripped from today’s headlines.
So it’s timely that Riverside Center for the Performing Arts is presenting the stage version of this story. Rather than using the updated Aaron Sorkin version that was a hit on Broadway in 2018, Riverside is working with the original stage adaptation authorized by Harper Lee.
While true to Lee’s novel, the play often relies on Atticus Finch’s neighbor, Maudie Atkinson, to play the narrator, bridging the scenes together. Adeptly played by Andrea Kahane, this character plays a minor role in the drama but keeps the story moving.
The characters of Atticus’s children Scout and Jem, along with their playmate, Dill, provide a set of innocent eyes viewing the gross injustice of 1930s Alabama. These roles are given emotional performances by Elani Roza Yanez (Scout), Grayson Lewis (Jem), and Mathias Glick (Dill).
Riverside’s production of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ runs through June 22. (Photos by Suzanne Carr-Rossi for Riverside)
One criticism of Lee’s novel was the passive role of the Black characters. By contrast, Riverside’s production features standout performances by Anthony Williams, who portrays accused rapist Tom Robinson in a very emotional trial scene and also by Ashleé James, who provides emotional depth as the Finch’s housekeeper, Calpurnia.
The despicable role of Bob Ewell is deftly played by Wilson Johnson, who contrasts dishonesty with Atticus’s often painful fairness.
The focus of the play is attorney Atticus Finch, who struggles with empathy for his racist neighbors and the Black community of Maycomb, Alabama. This weighty role is played by veteran stage and TV actor Tug Coker. Coker has roots in the area, having graduated from Stafford High School. He went on to receive his master’s degree from the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University.
Coker has acted in many notable stage productions. He played Larry Bird in the play “Magic/Bird”, directed by Thomas Kail (who went on to direct the Broadway hit Hamilton). He has also had recurring roles on hit TV shows “How I Met Your Mother” and “The Office.”
Coker’s parents have been patrons and supporters of Riverside since its inception 25 years ago, and it was a family gathering that led artistic director Patrick A’Hearn to approach Coker with the idea of playing Atticus.
“I got to meet the artistic director several years ago at my sister’s wedding,” Coker said. “A couple years ago he reached out to me and said he was thinking about doing To Kill A Mockingbird and would you have an interest in playing Atticus Finch?
“The idea of coming back home was always appealing for a couple of reasons. One of the iconic American stories to tell, To Kill A Mockingbird; one of the iconic characters in American fiction, Atticus Finch. To play that is the dream of a lifetime. And also the opportunity to come home and do my job while I’m near my parents. I have so many friends who grew up in LA for actors who grew up in New York and get to see their families. So for me to have the opportunity to do that sounded like a dream for me.”
Coker’s riveting portrayal of Atticus is somewhat reminiscent of Gregory Peck’s Oscar-winning performance in the 1962 film, although Coker said that he purposefully refrained from watching that movie to avoid copying Peck. Coker’s presence on stage is dignified and shows a real connection with his character.
“What I like to think of is he’s a working father who’s trying to do things the right way,” Coker said. “I can relate to that because I have kids of a similar age. I have a nine-year-old, a six-year-old and a four-year-old. All the things that Atticus is saying to his kids are things that I’m trying to say to my kids. I hope I’m trying to hold up to be an example for my kids in the way that Atticus does, not only with his words but with his actions. I can relate on just a cellular level about what Atticus is going through.”
The staging and lighting directed by Quinn Vogt-Welch evoke the time and place, moving from the Finch’s front porch to the courtroom seamlessly. “To Kill A Mockingbird” shows how far this country has come since 1935, and how some of the same issues remain with us today.
If you go
“To Kill A Mockingbird,” Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, runs until June 22. Tickets are $65-92.
