Next week, The University of Memphis Department of Theatre & Dance will present a classic American drama in Inherit the Wind, a play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee on the Mainstage on Thursday through Saturday evenings, October 24 through November 2.

“Inherit the Wind is one of the great American dramas that isn’t produced very often because many theaters don’t have the resources to produce it,” said Josh Brewer, third year MFA directing grad student and director of the UofM production of Inherit the Wind. “We have 26 actors in the show playing a total of 52 roles, which is a very high number for non-musical professional theatre.”

Hailed as a historical masterpiece, Inherit the Wind is a searing fictionalization of the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial in which a Tennessee teacher was arrested for teaching evolution in the classroom.

“I was attracted to the show because it speaks about the dangers of the hivemind and following ideology over your own liberty,” said Brewer. “I personally find the subject matter very interesting and definitely relevant in the world we live in today. It’s amazing how similar a number of things are, even though here we are nearly 100 years after the events took place.”

The play sets the action in a courtroom in the rural South but could be set in any town in America as it examines the intersection of education and Evangelistic ideals. With its premiere in 1955, Inherit the Wind was presented as a commentary on the “Red Scare” spearheaded by Joseph McCarthy.

For more information about this upcoming show, visit memphis.edu/theatre/currentseason/20192020/inheritthewind.php.

 

TITLE: Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee

VENUE: University of Memphis, Theatre Building, 3745 Central Ave.

RUN DATES: October 24 – November 2, 2019

TIMES OF SHOWS: 7:30 P.M. Thursday-Saturday

TICKETS:  $25 for adults, $20 for senior citizens and non-U of M students, $5 for high school students; U of M students receive a complimentary ticket.

TICKETS:  www.memphis.edu/theatre/  901-678-2576