On November 14-16, 2008, the Philomathean Performance Committee performed Inherit the Wind, by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee, in the Philomathean Halls.
Synopsis
The play starts out with two characters named Howard and Melinda hanging out at the lawn of Hillsboro courthouse, Howard looking for worms after a large rainstorm. Howard tells Melinda, “When the whole world was covered with water, there was nuthin’ but worms and blobs of jelly. And you and your whole family was worms!”
We are then introduced to Rachel, who goes to the courthouse to visit colleague Bert Cates in jail. Mr. Meeker gladly lets them talk while keeping Rachel’s promise of not telling her father. After a small conversation between Bert and Rachel, we find out Bert was jailed for teaching Darwinian theory in a public high school. Rachel attempts to get Bert to admit he was sorry and “did wrong” but Bert believes he did not do anything wrong. Rachel leaves after failing, not before Bert embraces her, asking her to love him.
The play switches to the arrival of Matthew Harrison Brady, and the arrival of reporters and spectators. The small town welcomes Brady into their community and throw a picnic for him and his services. The arrival of Henry Drummond, for the defense, is not received very well because he is agnostic. The play speeds up as the trial begins for Cates and the battle between the two oratorical giants of the era.
Cast:
Bertram Cates———————Allen Ruan
E.K. Hornbeck———————Stephen Sandford
Elijah/Dunlap———————David Marcou
Hawker/Bannister——————Phil Rocco
Henry Drummond——————Andrew Matas
Howard————————–Danielle Heitman
Judge—————————-Becky Lu
Matthew Harrison Brady————–Jon Moorman
Mayor—————————-Alec Webley
Meeker/Mrs Krebs——————Julia Harte
Mrs. Brady/Melinda—————–Marshall Bright
Rachel Brown———————-Megan Edelman
Reverend Jeremiah Brown————Greg Hamill
Storekeeper/Sillers/Reporter———-Chris Hillard
Tom Davenport/Photographer———Nathan Green
Director—————————–Chris Hillard
