Clarence Darrow was the defense lawyer in the famous Scopes Monkey Trial, a turning point in the controversy over teaching creation versus evolution. The case tested Tennessee's Butler Act, which made it unlawful for any state-funded education system to teach any theory that denies the story of divine creation of man in accordance with the Bible. The Butler Act was interpreted as prohibiting the teaching of any aspect of the theory of evolution, such as that from Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species." The trial was the center point of the 1955 play "Inherit the Wind" and the 1960 motion picture.
The two-act play "Clarence Darrow," by David W. Rintels, based on Irving Stone's "Clarence Darrow for the Defense," is a one-man play, in which Darrow gives an account of his life, the people he defended in court and the high and low points of his career.
The Community School in Sun Valley will present "Clarence Darrow" at the nexStage Theatre in Ketchum from Wednesday, Feb. 18, through Saturday, Feb. 21.
Terry Croghan plays Darrow. A lawyer for over 25 years, Croghan left the courtroom and found acting several years ago in Hamliton, Mont., with the Hamilton Players, where he first performed "Clarence Darrow."
Croghan discovered the play while training mediators in Tennessee. He made a visit to the Dayton, Tenn., courthouse, the site of the "Scopes Monkey Trial," and discovered the script.
"The courthouse was open, and I was by myself," Croghan said. "The courthouse is still used and relatively the same as when the trial took place. For 20 minutes, I sat down and absorbed the history of the place. I knew Darrow was a very fascinating and complicated guy who did lots of interesting things and throughout his life had a lot of success in the courtroom."
Croghan said playing Darrow is inspiring because he was a man ahead of his time. Croghan admires the life of Darrow not just because of his success as a trial lawyer but because he was extremely smart, well read and a freethinker.
"He talks about contemporary things, which are going on in our world today even though it was the early 1900s," said Croghan. "He had a huge heart, and he did what he did as a lawyer because he thought it was the right thing, and many people didn't agree and didn't like him for it."
The opening night performance on Wednesday, Feb. 18, is student night with $5 tickets and will include a raffle for iPods and iTunes gift certificates. Raffle tickets are $5 each and proceeds will support The Aphelion, The Community School's literary review.
On Thursday, the performance will be a dinner theater and winter benefit for The Community School, catered by CIRO. Raffle items include a diamond surprise, a one-carat, cushion-cut diamond and a tuition credit for the 2009-10 academic year. Raffle tickets are $50 each or three for $100. Ticket prices for the dinner theatre begin at $150 with options for premiere seating and full table reservations. Doors open at 6 p.m. with a cocktail reception and passed hors d'oeuvres. Show begins at 7:30 p.m.
Performances on Friday, Feb. 20, and Saturday, Feb. 21, are at 7 p.m. and tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for youth. For details, call 726-4857.
Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com
In a photo taken by Will Moss, Terry Croghan is Clarence Darrow in a one-man play at the nexStage Theatre presented by The Community School.
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