Inherit the Wind
- By Arlene Winnick
Inherit the Wind is one of my favorite dramatic plays. So, I was delighted when the Pasadena Playhouse, the official State Theater of California, announced a boldly reimaged production staring noted actor Alfred Molina as defense attorney Henry Drummond (who can forget his award-winning performance in the theater’s 2020 rendition of The Father).
The controversial play, written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E, Lee in the early 1950s is a fictionalized account of the infamous 1925 Scopes “Monkey” trial when a high school teacher was on trial for teaching Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Though much has changed in our society and in our schools, Inherit the Wind is “even more topical than a half a century ago” according to the New York Times as it represents our right to think making you actually rethink what you know and dare to question just how much our society has truly evolved.
In this version, the play has been updated making it even more relevant to contemporary audiences. Of note: select audience members will be a part of the action with onstage seating in the courtroom gallery as well as a jury box located at the foot of the stage. Also starring in this intense David vs. Goliath courtroom drama is John Douglass Thompson who plays prosecutor Mathew Harrison Bracy. Directing the cast of seventeen is noted director Michael Michetti.
For tickets and more, click here.