Inheriting a Parable of Anti-Intellectualism

A note at the beginning of the original edition of “Inherit the Wind,” which premiered in 1955, states explicitly that the Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee’s play is not history. Sure, names were changed, characters had been added, and I had to admit that Clarence Darrow, whom I had idolized, was probably not nearly as dashing as Spencer Tracy, but the plot itself stayed relatively true to the infamous 1925 Scopes Trial over the teaching of evolution—leading me to believe that the evolution debate was what the play was all about.

Little did I know that, by 1955, evolution was no longer the issue at hand. Rather, Lawrence and Lee intended their play to be a reflection of the rampant anti-intellectualism and stifling of informed public debate that predominated in the McCarthy era. My mistake, however, was at least partially forgivable: by the time I watched the movie, in 2002, the focus of such controversy had shifted once again, away from communism and back to, of all things, evolution.

This return to a much older debate forms the basis for the Kennedy School of Government’s production of “Inherit the Wind,” which goes up this weekend in the John F. Kennedy, Jr. Forum at the Institute of Politics (IOP). For the show, the first-ever student production at the school, organizers wanted to choose a script that was still relevant in today’s political climate.

“The Forum is a great space used for ideas and political controversies and we thought, what a great space to have ‘Inherit the Wind’ here,” says director Edward F. Byrne ’07.

The cast includes both undergraduates and graduate students, and those involved hope to start a new tradition of political theater at the school. “The idea of this was that it would sort of start a tradition of having a play in the forum be the IOP’s entry to Arts First,” says producer Eleni Andreadis, who will receive a Master of Public Policy degree from the Kennedy School this June.

Though the production team has faced challenges working in what Byrne describes as a presentation space rather than a theatrical one, Andreadis argues that the Forum lends itself particularly well to “Inherit the Wind.” The play takes place in a courtroom, and much of its dialogue consists of courtroom questioning and arguments by lawyers on both sides.

Andreadis adds that members of the cast playing jurors will be sitting among the audience, and attorneys will address their speeches to them. “It’s trying to blow that barrier between cast and audience,” she says.