"Inherit the Wind"
Real Courtroom, Real Lawyers

What if the famous courtroom drama, “Inherit the Wind” was staged in a real courtroom and as many roles as possible played by people who had the same occupation as the characters? The judge would be played by a judge, the lawyers by lawyers, the preacher by a minister, the mayor by the mayor and so on. That’s the idea director, Brad Jenkins, suggested to the Alleghany Community Theatre’s board of directors almost two years ago. The board loved the idea and so did the judge, the lawyers, and all the rest.

The result is that the next ACT Readers Theatre production will be “Inherit the Wind” and it will feature Judge Richard Doughton playing the judge, Ed Adams, Dan Murray, and Jak Reeves playing lawyers, Thom Burleson playing the preacher, Bob Bamberg as a newspaper reporter, Randy Boger as the baliff, John Miller as the mayor, and Susie Gambill as the Clerk of the Court.

It will play in the Alleghany County courthouse’s newly renovated courtroom in Sparta, VA on July 19 at 7:30 pm and again at the Grayson County Courthouse courtroom in Independence, VA on July 24 at 7:30 pm.

The play is based on a 1925 trial in Dayton, Tennessee pitting two intellectual giants of the time, William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow, against each other. A state law banned the teaching of evolution and a Dayton teacher knowingly taught it anyway. For twelve days, Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes captured the nation's attention. A media circus swept through Dayton and the historical event captured worldwide attention.

Thirty years later, playwrights Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee published “Inherit the Wind.” They fictionalized much of the story, but the essence remains. As they brought history to life again, they discovered the central issues were as current as ever. Today, over forty years since “Inherit the Wind” reached Broadway, America continues to revive the story both in film and on stage. Since 1955, there have been three film versions of “Inherit the Wind.” The best-known film starred Fredric March, Spencer Tracy and Gene Kelly. The play recently returned to the Broadway stage this past March for a limited run starring Christopher Plummer and Brian Dennehy.

Director Brad Jenkins feels the play is still current. “With the recent discussions of creationism,” he explains, “the central issue is still around. And what better way to present this landmark play about a landmark trial than with the characters played by real lawyers and a real judge in a real courtroom.”

Jenkins previously directed the ACT production of “Steel Magnolias” and played Joe Keller in “All My Sons.” Other stage credits include: Big Daddy in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” Matthew Brady in “Inherit the Wind” and professional roles with the Broach Theatre and the NC Shakespeare Festival. He directed and starred in “On Golden Pond” and starred in “The Sunshine Boys” for ACT Readers Theatre in May. Jenkins has a large, impressive cast.

Judge Richard Doughton plays the judge. Doughton is a native of Alleghany County having grown up on a dairy farm. He graduated from Piney Creek High School, then UNC at Chapel Hill, followed by Wake Forest University where he earned his JD degree. After practicing law in Alleghany County for many years he became a judge and has been a Superior Court judge for the past 10 years. This is his first experience in the theatre.

Ed Adams plays lawyer, Matthew Harrison Brady. Adams has practiced law in Alleghany since 1970. A Georgia native, he was in a few musicals at the University of GA such as “Kiss Me Kate,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Sound of Music.” More recently, he played in “Scrooge” and has been a member of The Highland Camerata regional chorus for many years.

Marion Adams plays Mrs. Brady, wife of Matthew Brady. Adams, a long time favorite of ACT audiences, is Director of the Pre-School at the Sparta United Methodist Church. She is also the wife of Ed Adams. Marion has appeared in the “Sound of Music,” “Steel Magnolias,” “Faith County,” “Scrooge,” and “An Evening of Culture - Faith County II.” She is also a pianist and organist with the Methodist Church and member of The Highland Camerata.

Dan Murray plays the opposing lawyer, Henry Drummond. Murray has practiced law for 34 years. He says he has no prior theatre experience “other than being a trial lawyer.” Murray lives in Roaring Gap with his wife Jane.

Jak Reeves plays Tom Davenport, the local prosecutor. Reeves, who lives in Ashe County is engaged to Tamara DiVenere, an attorney in Boone, NC. Reeves practices law in both Ashe and Alleghany Counties. He hasn’t done theatrical work for several years but is an avid musician who plays guitar, banjo, and mandolin. He plays bluegrass and Americana music.

Bob Bamberg plays reporter, K. Hornbeck. Bamberg who, years ago, was editor of the Alleghany News, has appeared in a number of ACT productions. He played in "Nuptials," "Faith County," and "Amateurs." He directed the Readers Theatre production of "Eleemosynary." He played in the ACT Readers Theatre production of "The Scarlet O'Hara Complex." He is the director of the Chamber of Commerce and lives with his wife, Ruth, in Twin Oaks.

Thom Burleson plays the Rev. Jeremiah Brown. The versatile Burleson, minister at the Sparta Presbyterian Church, was in the musical “Scrooge” and played in the ACT production of “Amateurs.” More recently, he was Felix in the ACT Readers Theatre production of “The Odd Couple,” Bill Ray in “On Golden Pond,” and Ben in “The Sunshine Boys.”

Donny McCall plays the Biology Teacher, Bertram Cates, who is on trial. McCall was in the ACT Readers Theatre production of “Victoria” and directed and played in the Readers Theatre play, “Two Rooms.” He also directed and starred in the acclaimed ACT main stage production of “All My Sons.”

Melissa Halsey plays Rachel Brown, Cates’ fiance. Halsey, of Independence, VA, has performed for over ten years with area theatres. Her roles include Aldonza in “Man of La Mancha,” Emily Webb in “Our Town,” and Abigail Williams in “The Crucible.” For ACT Readers Theatre, she played in “Eleemosynary,” “On Golden Pond,” and “Dairy Queen Days.” Melissa, a mother of two, is a real estate paralegal in Boone, NC.

Dillon Edwards plays Howard, a student of the defendant. This is his first production with ACT.

Dudley Carpenter plays a WGN Announcer. Carpenter has stage managed, produced, and done sound design for ACT for several years. He played in the ACT Readers Theatre production of “The Housekeeper” and directed “The Odd Couple.” He also played in “Scrooge.” Carpenter moved here, seven years ago, from Washington, DC where he was a video producer, director and writer.

Wells Shoemaker plays Elijah. Shoemaker, a retired chemical engineer, moved to Alleghany County from Gettysburg, PA in January. His theatre experience includes “Inherit the Wind,” “Masque of Reason,” and “Devil and Mr.Webster.” He starred in the recent ACT Readers Theatre production of “The Sunshine Boys.”

Randy Boger plays Meeker, the Baliff, Randy is a baliff at the Alleghany Court.

Jennifer Tracy plays Mrs. Krebs. While new to ACT Reader's Theater, Tracy is not new to ACT. She played in “Faith County,” “An Evening of Culture – Faith County II,” and “Amateurs.” She is a third grade teacher at Glade Creek School, a NC EMT for Alleghany County Rescue Squad, and a registration clerk for the ER at Alleghany Memorial Hospital.

John Miller plays the Mayor. Miller, who has been Sparta’s mayor for 26 years, is an Alleghany County native. He worked as a teacher and then principal in the school system fro 34 years and, at the same time ran a dairy and cattle farm. This is his first effort at acting and he says he is “entirely untested” as an actor.

Robert Woodie plays Mr. Bannister, one of the jurors.

Jim Williams plays Mr. Sillers, a juror. Williams got his start as a child actor and later helped manage a theater group at an Air Force base in England. He has had roles in "Camelot," "Streetcar Named Desire," "Harvey," "Plaza Suite," "The Odd Couple," "Butterflies are Free," and "The Glass Menagerie." Jim, who lives just outside of Sparta, NC, is retired from the U.S. Air Force. He played in the ACT Readers Theatre production of “Dairy Queen Days” and directed “The Sunshine Boys.”

Pam Russell plays Mrs. Dunlap, a juror.

Bryanna Lindberg plays Malinda. Lindberg, from Galax, VA, is an eleven year old home schooled student. This is her second ACT production. She played Keats in “Dairy Queen Days.” She studies classical guitar and is a published writer.

ACT Readers Theatre is a staged reading of a play with little or no technical aspects. Actors read from scripts, but they still “act.” There may be simple movement and a narrator often reads stage directions describing any action or location information necessary to help the audience understand what is going on.

ACT Readers Theatre productions are normally staged every other month followed by a repeat performance at the Historic 1908 Courthouse in Independence, VA. ACT Readers Theatre is organized in cooperation with the Alleghany County Arts Council with partial funding by the NC Arts Council Grassroots Grant. To find out more about ACT Readers Theatre, contact Director, Brad Jenkins at 336-359-8000 or Producer, Dudley Carpenter at 336-372-7901.