Inherit the Wind was TL’s fall play this year, and students and faculty were excitedly anticipating the show’s debut. Inspired by the 1925 Scopes Trial, the play is a fictionalized courtroom drama in which a teacher is prosecuted for teaching evolution in a small, religiously conservative town. The play centers on the legal battle between two famous lawyers: the prosecutor, who advocates for a fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible, and the defense attorney, who supports educational freedom and the right to think. Inherit the Wind serves almost as an allegory for the conflict between science and religion. While the actors were rehearsing, the behind-the-scenes crew were hard at work, developing sets, lighting, sound design, auditions, and more.
This year’s cast featured Ezra Buell ‘27 and William Cochran ’28 as the opposing lawyers, Henry Drummond and Matthew Harrison Brady, Bali Simon ‘26 as the accused teacher, Bertram Cates, and Ella Elliot ‘26 as Cates’s conflicted love interest, Rachel Brown. Senior Allie Marovich, an actress in the play, plays E.K. Hornbeck, a reporter for the fictional Baltimore Morning Herald who keeps citizens informed on the case. To memorize her lines, “I just repeat the lines over and over until it’s ingrained in my mind,” Marovich says. “I also use memorizer.me, which helps me remember my lines.”
Creating the props for Inherit the Wind has also been an endeavor for the production team. Students have spent countless hours creating props and building a scene that transports the audience to the 1920s courtroom. Real food was introduced into the scenes, not only to add to the lifelike aspects of the play, but also to contribute to the plot. This year, the play will be held in the blackbox theater, in contrast to the performance hall. “The blackbox theater is our newest theater, and it has the most updated technologies,” McPherson explains. “We have lights that can make many different colors, and even recreate shapes like a sun, which can be used as a day simulator.” From the ambient sounds of a small town to the dramatic lighting in the courtroom, the crew has been working hard to make the audio and visuals as immersive as possible.
Penny Carroll, head of costumes for the play, talks about her methodology and how she crafts realistic costumes. “I’m doing something pretty fun with color theory,” Penny says. “I chose different colors to represent the different groups, the Bible-based party, and the evolution believers.” She also explains her processes in the creative liberties taken to actually build them. “I usually ask whoever’s playing the character what clothes they already have from my design. It’s mostly talking to the people and coordinating with them, and then buying clothes for things they don’t have.”
As the cast and crew prepare for opening night, the production of Inherit the Wind has been created to represent more than a play: it depicts controversial issues that challenge our perspectives. With a devoted team behind every aspect of the production, it’s sure to leave an impression on all who attend. This thought-provoking drama came to life on stage from October 23 to October 25!
