The Catskill Chronicle

Norman Duttweiler as defense attorney Henry Drummond and Sean Coughlin in the role of Bertram Cates, the teacher accused of teaching evolution.

Story and photos by Ted Waddell

LOCH SHELDRAKE – “Inherit the Wind”, a 1955 play by Jerome Lawrence and
Robert Edwin Lee was brilliantly adapted to the local stage by Ron Nash with vocal music arrangements by Lori James.

Harold Tighe in the role of Reverend Brown, a Bible-thumpin’ preacherman.

Staged by the Forestburgh Theatre Arts Center (FTAC), an outgrowth of the 65-year old Forestburgh Playhouse, “Inherit the Wind” is a fictionalized account of the world-famous Scopes “Monkey” Trial in which John T. Scopes was convicted in the sultry summer of 1925 of teaching Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution to a high school science class, contrary to a Tennessee state law that banned the teaching of evolution. The trial took place in Hillsboro, Tennessee, and the original authors of the play used it as a powerful and thought-provoking parable to explore the then contemporary state of McCarthyism and anti-Communist investigations conducted by the House Committee of Un-American Activities (HCUA) and the then-mighty Senator Joseph McCarthy before his fall from grace.

While a fictionalized account of the trial, Lawrence and Lee used the historical “Monkey Trial” as a vehicle to explore threats to intellectual freedom posed by anti- Communist hysteria of the day.

The title of the play comes from Proverbs 11:29 in the King James Bible – “He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.”

The fictional characters corresponded to historical figures that took center stage during the Scopes “Monkey” Trial, as Mathew Harrison Brady was the persona of William Jennings Bryan, Henry Drummond as Clarence Darrow, Bertram Cates as John Scopes, and E.K. Hornbeck represented H.L. Mencken.

Kevin Confoy as E. K. Hornbeck, a newspaperman.

“Inherit the Wind” opened with local actors on January 10, 1955 and debuted at the National Theatre on Broadway on April 21, 1955. It was revived twice on the Great White Way, and has been adapted to the silver screen four times: the 1960 film starring Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, Gene Kelly, Harry Morgan, and Dick York, followed in 1965, 1988 and 1999 by updated versions.

Locally, the FTAC staged Nash’s adaptation at three area high schools (Tri-Valley, Monticello and Liberty), as well as a trio of public performances at Sullivan County Community College’s Seelig Theatre. Last year, the FTAC presented “The Miracle Worker” at Tri-Valley Central School along with public performances.

During this season’s productions staged at the high schools more than 1,700 students watched “Inherit the Wind”, and several hundred folks attended performances at the local community college.

Bill Moloney as Matthew Harrison Brady, an impassioned prosecutor.

The cast: Kevin Confoy as E.K Hornbeck, Bill Moloney as Matthew Harrison Brady, Mathew Bogorad/Sean Coughlin as Bertram Cates, Jennifer Brescia/Sarah Norris as Rachel Brown, Cynthia Topps/David Topps as the Mayor, Harold Tighe as Reverend Brown, Norman Duttweiler as Henry Drummond, Steve Davis as the Judge, and Rebecca Bass/Quincy Confoy/Zoe Gronner as Mary Ellen.

Students from four high schools (Burke, Liberty, Monticello, and Tri-Valley) were part of the production, appearing mostly as the citizens of Hillsboro, while a few alternated in key roles. Lori James served as assistant director, vocal arranger and is head of FTAC’s school workshop design and development.

“What is unique about the mission [of the FTAC] is bringing theatre and components of theatre into the school districts, and how it relates to the NYS [educational] standards,” she said. “’Inherit the Wind’ is part of the curriculum, and it brings it back to classroom learning, state exams and long-term learning.”

An integral part of presenting “Inherit the Wind” at the high schools was offering a series of eight workshops, ranging from English, math and science to the physical movement of dance.

Steve Davis portrayed the judge.

According to Duttweiler, proud owner the Forestburgh Playhouse for the past 19 years, the Forestburgh Theatre Arts Center is a natural evolution of the famous theatre, as it has multiple goals for the performing arts, “one of which is the development of an appreciation of live theatre and performing arts by local students and local general audiences”, in addition to perpetuating the theatre after he takes his final curtain call.

“It’s about providing a place where artists can create new works, new musicals and new plays, probably at the playhouse,” said Duttweiler. “It’s about a new generation, new directions, so more of the community is supporting it, not just one madman.”

In “Inherit the Wind” Duttweiler as Henry Drummond in the guise of Clarence Darrow engaged Moloney as Matthew Harrison Brady in the persona of William Jennings Bryan in rapier-edged dialogue that delved into creationism versus

After the verdict, Norman Duttweiler as Henry Drummond, weighs the inherent implications of comparing the Holy Bible with Charles Darwin’s “Origin of Species”, key elements of the case against the high school teacher.

evolution, and intellectual freedom versus stifling governmental control.

The real meaning of the play became crystal clear when Duttweiler takes center stage in a vacant courtroom, weighing in each hand the Holy Bible and Darwin’s “Origin of Species” in the wake of a guilty verdict.To view more photos or to purchase prints from “Inherit the Wind” – Creationism vs. Evolution visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.