By: Marin Murray
Set in 2021, the Abilene High theater program will bring their modern spin on Inherit the Wind to life this October.
Inherit the Wind is the fictionalized version of a real trial from Dayton, Tennessee in 1925. Known as the “Scopes Monkey trial”, a science teacher from a small town is arrested for teaching the theory of evolution, which was against the law at the time.
“It was the first time that I had ever read a play and just couldn’t put it down,” director Robert Taylor said. “A lot of the times when I read plays and I’m picking shows I can’t really get through it because I get bored or I don’t think it’s the right play. But that was the first time I was able to sit through a whole play and really see this production on our stage.”
Auditions for Inherit the Wind were held back in August. In order to audition for the play, students had to prepare a one to three minute monologue and sing a few bars from one of four church hymns.
“There is just a lot to learn from the play,” senior Hallie Wright said. “People are still able to learn from it today.”
Taylor expressed a similar idea and how the themes in this play are important to society, even today.
“The big takeaway from this script is that you can have a different opinion or different view about something and still be able to have a conversation with that person,” Taylor said. “We learn the most by asking questions and thinking from the perspective of other people. The show really invites that kind of thinking, which is what we want.”
A “talk back” featuring the cast will be taking place immediately following the Friday night performance. During the talk back, audience members are invited to ask the cast members questions about the play or anything pertaining to it.
“It’s not just a courtroom drama,” Taylor said. There’s other things in it and there’s a lot of things to be excited about as far as the show goes.”
Inherit the Wind will be performed in the auditorium on October seventh, eighth, and ninth. Masks are recommended and social distancing will be implemented inside the auditorium.
