BROADWAY SNAP-SHOT
by Russell Bouthiller

Dateline: April 29, 2007

INHERIT THE WIND

The great American classic, INHERIT THE WIND, recently opened at the Lyceum Theatre in a limited engagement starring two twice-honored Tony-winners, Christopher Plummer and Brian Dennehy. Directed by Doug Hughes, this stunning production wrangles a tremendous cast to present a hometown community caught up in a national drama.

Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's poignant 1955 drama fictionalizes the infamous "Monkey Trial" of 1925 in which two of the most renowned figures in America, the brilliant Clarence Darrow and the three-time Democratic Party presidential candidate, William Jennings Bryan, defend and dispute the prohibition against teaching the theories of Charles Darwin in publicly funded classrooms.

Keeping with the facts, Lawrence and Lee set their tale in a rural Southern district where a local school teacher, Bert Cates (Benjamin Walker), is jailed for violating the Creationist curriculum only statute by exploring with his students Darwin's theories of evolution. Cates's girlfriend, Rachel (Maggie Lacey), lovingly pledges her support and finds herself at odds with her father, the Reverend Jeremiah Brown (Byron Jennings).

Opening with a gospel quartet looming over Santo Loguasto's richly paneled courtroom set (Loquasto also did the fine period costumes), there is no question that young Cates stands alone in this devoutly Christian community. And, when Matthew Harrison Brady (Dennehy) sweeps into town with dutiful wife (Beth Fowler) by his side, townsfolk stand primed for a witch hunt with a huge banner stating "Take Back America for Christ."

Henry Drummond (Plummer), on the other hand, arrives to as much fanfare as Karl Rove might get at a Dixie Chicks concert. As a noted defender of some very unpopular criminals (a reference to Darrow's representation of Leopold and Loeb), Drummond is looked upon as an apostate. Drummond and Brady are old acquaintances whose friendship waned as Brady's fundamentalist politics grew more fervent. The two attorneys welcome one another and ready themselves for the battle ahead.

With his broad frame and beaming smile, Brian Dennehy embodies a man inspired by the Word of God. Full of sound and fury, he radiates with a confidence that verges on smugness. Dennehy captures Brady's sharp focus and skillfully reveals a man dedicated to his religion with a medieval intensity.

Snapping his suspenders and running his fingers through his adorably mussed hair, Christopher Plummer exudes a man fueled by an uncomplicated, down-home folksiness. Using simple gestures and irresistible quirkiness, he latches onto this role with full vigor and grace. Experiencing Christopher Plummer play an aged, wizened attorney who's miles ahead of everyone in the courtroom is the next best thing to watching Clarence Darrow himself.

As the H. L. Mencken-type columnist, E. K. Hornbeck, Tony-winner Denis O'Hare offers a delightfully cynical character with sturdy self-possession. Terry Beaver as the judge brings a Southern flair to the proceedings and Byron Jennings spews fire and brimstone as Reverend Brown. This is solid theater in an opulent production with celebrated leads playing legendary characters. What could be more fun?