 |
| Michael Fleck and Tom Koelbel Photo by Mark Gluckman |
Click here for more information on this production that runs through December 9th.
"Toward the end of Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's 1955 drama Inherit the Wind, which is based on the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" trial that pitted God and creationism against Darwin and evolution, the lawyer for the accused states, "You don't suppose this kind of thing is ever finished, do you?" How prophetic that statement is, as in just the last year some members of the Arizona Department of Education were seriously thinking of removing the word "evolution" from the science standards that would have impacted all school children in the state. With excellent leads and sure-footed direction, Theatre Artists Studio is presenting a solid production of this classic courtroom drama that clearly is as timely today as ever....Studio regulars Michael Fleck and Tom Koelbel play the lawyers and they are both excellent in creating these two very different men who were once good friends but now find themselves on vastly opposite sides...With many of our elected politicians continuing to stress the importance of God and attempting to help weave religious protections into our laws while questioning scientific evidence such as climate change, it only shows how the debate of science vs religion seems to be one that will possibly never be resolved. Inherit the Wind is a play that is still mesmerizing and fascinating in its depiction of an unorthodox and factual trial and Theatre Artists Studio's production proves a rich and rewarding theatrical experience. The title of the play comes from a biblical quote from Proverbs 11:29, "He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart," words that, like the play, are still as timely as ever." -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)
"To see INHERIT THE WIND, in its current iteration at Theatre Artists Studio, is to revisit the endless battle between open-minded reason and the intolerance of blind faith. It is, as well, a golden opportunity to witness two bears of the stage ~ Michael Fleck and Tom Koelbel ~ have at each other in their portrayals of the goliaths that put the trial of the century on the map....In this staging of the controversial face-off between Darwinism (as represented by Fleck's Henry Drummond) and creationism (by Koelbel's Matthew Harrison Brady), director Judy Rollings has given her leads the latitude to define their characters in a way that magnifies the contrasts and the tensions between two former allies, now courtroom combatants....it is the trial in the second act, specifically Drummond's tenacious examination of Brady, that is the play's centerpiece...Fleck and Koelbel give us what we want ~ palpable, provocative, and pulsating high drama...The fact that the issues of the case have not yet been fully resolved in America's political landscape makes this production all the more compelling and timely......." - Herbert Paine, Broadway World (click here to read the complete review)
No comments:
Post a Comment
In order to avoid spam, comments will be moderated. Anonymous comments no longer will be allowed. If your comment is from an actual person it will be approved and posted in a timely manner.