Last night Cam took me to go see an incredible performance of Inherit the Wind. I had not heard of this story and did not know anything about it going in but I am so glad I went because this was one of the best plays I have ever seen. It also shows that you do not need a lot of flash to make a show good and entertaining. The people on stage had on regular street clothes the set consisted of about three or four tables and some chairs. Audience members who won a lottery were allowed to sit in the jury box and they were also people from the audience sitting on stage. I had never been to the Pasadena Playhouse before and it was a pretty good size. Parking was a breeze and right near the theater which was nice. I am too used to praying for parking downtown or taking out a mortgage to pay for parking at the Pantages.
This is about a teacher named Bert who is arrested and waiting to stand trial for teaching Darwinism in school. He made a bad mistake because the town he is in is full of bible thumpers. His lady, Rachel, wants him to just say he was wrong so that everyone can lay off him. He doesn't want to. It doesn't help that her father is the reverend. Coming to prosecute Bert is Matthew Harrison Brady who has run for president a few times, is very religious, very popular, and a great public speaker. He shows up with his wife and the town just fawns over him. They discover coming to defend Bert is Henry Drummond. He is a very well known attorney and was once good friends with Brady. Also, a new reporter and someone I thought stood out in this play was E.K. Hornbeck. He is extremely cynical and messy and I am all about that.
I enjoyed the jury picking process as well as the trial itself. Drummond was fighting an uphill battle having the trial take place in this town. None of the evidence he wanted to present was allowed. He could not even use the Darwin book in court and Rachel damn near had a nervous breakdown on the stand (especially after her father pretty much damned her and Bert to hell earlier). Once Drummond manages to get Brady on the stand this play became a class on live performance. I am so glad that I remember I was in public because I was agreeing with so much of what Drummond said and asked. There were some more players in this and everyone did their part incredibly. Though the trial this was based off of happened almost 100 years ago and this play was written when my father was a small child so much of what is said and the views can be found on any social media site within moments of a disagreement. We managed to see this the day before its last performance and the place was packed. I plan on seeing another show this coming weekend with L. and that should also be good. Hopefully The Fountain Theater doesn't attack us with raccoons, helicopters, and screaming men.
Alfred Molina as Henry Drummond
John Douglas Thompson as Matthew Harrison Brady
John Ross Bowie as E.K. Hornbeck
Marlene Forte as Mrs. Brady
Matt Gomez Hidaka as Howard Blair
Thomas Hobson as Tom Davenport/Reporter
Alexander Matos as Bertram Cates
Chelsea Yakura-Kurtz as Rachel Brown
Click here for previous Curtain Call.
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