Olivia Cipperman ’19 and Amy Chen ’19: Episcopal’s 2017 fall play is Inherit the Wind, which will run from November 2nd to November 4th in the Episcopal Academy’s Black Box Theater. The play is an American classic written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee in 1955. It draws heavily from the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial and describes the intense conflicts that arose from the then-contemporary debates of evolutionism versus creationism. Set in Hillsboro, Tennessee, the play revolves around the prosecution of Bert Cates, a teacher who was arrested for teaching evolution to his students. Leading the charge against Cates is Reverend Brown, the spiritual leader of Hillsboro and father of Cates’ girlfriend, Rachel Brown. Matthew Harrison Brady, leader of the movement against evolutionism and three-time presidential candidate, also joins Reverend Brown by volunteering to be the prosecuting attorney and is graciously welcomed by the entire town. Frightened by Brady and Brown, Cates enlists the help of Henry Drummond, an attorney famous for defending underdogs; however, his reception is not nearly as friendly. Caught in the midst of this conflict is Rachel Brown, who is torn throughout the entire play between Cates, who represents evolutionism, and her father, who stands for religious fundamentalism.
The days leading up the trial are filled with tension, and Reverend Brown shocks the town by delivering a powerful sermon in which he condemns both Cates and his own daughter. When the pressures of pitting evolutionism against religious fundamentalism finally collide in court, sparks fly as both sides argue their points. Things seem to be going downhill for Drummond as Brady calls Drummond’s own students against him and Drummond’s scientific witnesses are discredited. However, Drummond quickly retaliates by summoning Brady to the stand and calling the Bible itself into question.
The Domino Board and Theater Department chose Inherit the Wind for a variety of reasons. Theater Department Chair Daniel Clay says, “I think we chose it mostly because it’s relevant to what’s happening today. There’s a lot of things to talk about in terms of how divided our country is right now.” He explains that the Domino Board is interested in it for several other elements, as well. “They [the Domino Board] wanted to tackle something that was a little more realistic and less surreal,” he says. Clay cites the fact that Episcopal Academy eighth graders read the play as a third reason. Neera Raychaudhuri, Class of 2020, says, “I enjoyed reading it in Middle School and I think it will be interesting to watch.”
Students have already expressed their enthusiasm for Inherit the Wind as this year’s fall play. Emma Humann, Class of 2019, says, “I think that it’s very relevant to what is going on with the modern dynamic of people with different viewpoints.” As a student participant in the play, she’s not alone in her view of its thematic import. Elizabeth Palumbo, Class of 2019 and tech crew member, states, “I think that it’s a good choice because some of the themes are relevant to today, like the media and how it influences people’s thinking. There are political extremes today, and there were political extremes then.”
The Episcopal community anticipates Inherit the Wind as an interesting and topical show. It should prove an exciting production for the fall of 2017 and it will participate in the regional Cappie awards.
Want to see the action yourself and find out which side triumphs? Visit the Black Box Theater from November 2nd to 4th.