April 02, 2009 09:57 am
—
By JOELLE LACHANCE
Contributing Writer
Not many people would
title a play after a passage
from the Bible, though that
did not hinder Jerome Lawrence
and Robert E. Lee.
The passage is from
Proverbs 11:29 and it reads
``He that troubleth his own
house shall inherit the
wind.’’
The play that draws its
influence from this sentence
is Inherit the Wind, a
courtroom drama based on
the Scopes Monkey Trial.
It was first performed in
Dallas in January 1955 before
becoming a favorite on
Broadway and later a motion
picture starring Spencer
Tracy, Fredrick March,
and Gene Kelly.
After its wide success, it
found its way into the play
portfolio of Cooperstown
High School in 1988.
On April 2, 3, and 4, history
will repeat itself 21
years later. The senior
class will be performing
``Inherit the Wind.’’
The audience will find
themselves transported to
Hillsboro, a small town
very much like Cooperstown,
in the not so distant
past. While there, they will
encounter the man responsible
for this whole conflict.
Bertram Cates, played
by Tom Craig, is a school
teacher who taught his biology
class Darwin’s Theory
of Evolution in a town
where only the Book of
Genesis can be taught.
While waiting for his
trial he is visited by the
friendly, though not to
bright bailiff, Meeker,
played by Scott Evans, and
his love, Rachel Brown,
played by Johanna Hasak.
Her father is the Reverend
Jeremiah Brown, played by
Austin Lewis, a staunch opponent
of Darwin.
The prosecution is presented
by the District Attorney,
played by Robert
Harmon, and the ``Savior of
the common people,’’ Matthew
Harrison Brady,
played by Scott Buchanan.
They are attended by the
motherly Mrs. Brady,
played by Laura Derouin.
The defense comes to town
in a whirlwind headed by
the cynical reporter from
the Baltimore Herald, E.K.
Hornbeck, played by Quinn
Hoffmann, and a big shot
lawyer from Chicago, Henry
Drummond, played by
Weston Honiker.
As the trial progresses,
the two lawyers are at each
other’s throats and even
bring some surprising witnesses
to the stand.
The question is, of
course, who will be victorious!
The play is directed by
David Peplinski and Joelle
Lachance. They are assisted
by Emily Davidson.
The show starts at 7:30
p.m. each night.
Tickets can be purchased
from a member of the senior
class or at the main office
at Cooperstown Middle/
High School and are $5 for
students, $8 for adults and
$20 for the whole family,
provided they all come at
the same time.
Joelle Lachance is a senior
at CCS and the co-director
of the senior play.
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