Segal Center for the performing arts presents the Pulitzer Prize-nominated play...Inherit The Wind
Play by Jerome Lawrence & Robert E. Lee. Directed by Greg Kramer.
A thrilling courtroom drama inspired by the famous ‘Scopes Monkey Trial’ of 1925 in Dayton, Tennessee where schoolteacher John Scopes was accused of violating a state law against teaching the theory of human evolution. Lawrence and Lee wrote Inherit the Wind during the 1950s when Senator McCarthy was on the rampage in the United States. The play is a metaphor for the importance of intellectual freedom and the dangers of restricting free speech. "A fight for the right to be wrong." The artistic director promises the production to leave a lasting impression on theatergoers, the actors having added a unique dimension and depth to the play, and that Elli Bunton’s imaginative set will strive to bring the audience into the action.
The production is well paced, and the play a perfect length to hold the interest of most (I found myself counting the empty seats in the audience '35' during act one), and it has an equally well placed intermission. As promised the cast do leave us with a lasting impression in that there are so many of them on stage coming and going from every direction, worst choice being when they are persistently sent up through the audience, it is distracting forcing the audience to play 'where's Waldo' to locate exactly where is the focus of the scene. It's narrowed down to the the performance of Sean McCann as the defense lawyer Henry Drummond who steals the show. Despite a few scattered dropped lines in act two, he definitely holds the interest of the audience in an otherwise very 'busy' staging of an extra large ensemble, he rallies the support of the crowd with his larger than life stage presence giving us a truly memorable performance. And in the supporting cast Tamara Brown as Rachel Brown, the colleague and love interest of Karl Graboshas's character Bertram Cathes, she delivers a strong performance and lights up the stage when she in on it. Which brings me to the question of why are there so few black actors cast in this production set in the heart of the deep south. And why is the obvious 'elephant in the room' question, the issue of an 'interracial relationship', never properly addressed in the play? Huh?!
There are a few questionable staging choices throughout the production for example like when Karl confronts Tamara in Act one, he looks out away from her and moves towards the audience. Also when the prosecutor questions her on the stand in act two. I would have gone with a more intimate moment of tension between the two characters in their confrontation in act one, and I would have preferred it if the prosecutor had delivered his questions from her right side, facing the jury members and not hiding her from their gaze. Again most distracting was the forced staging sending the characters across the stage on the audience first row floor or up into the audience to exit and enter. Sending the prosecutor up the long flight of stairs through the audience at the end was the least logical. The set is at first glance is very impressive, but then it becomes somewhat less relevant and even somewhat confusing at times making it difficult to define the space of the scene of where the actors are in the play, this is more evident in act one. Act two everything becomes much more clear and is more focused and easier to follow. The pacing on the epilogue is a bit stretched out and long winded and could have done with a bit of editing. The lighting, like the set design, although very 'pretty' in looks through most of the play, doesn't always do all it could to help to define space, and there were a few moments where the faces were not as lit as well as they should be. The music is a nice selection and an appreciated addition to the overall production.
Costume concept by Susana Vera and lighting by Robert Thomson. John Gilbert is the musical director. The play stars Sean McCann (as defense lawyer Henry Drummond) and David Francis (as prosecutor Matthew Harrison Brady). Also features a huge cast of 26 including: Tamara Brown (Rachel Brown, Bill Corday (Elijah), Bill Croft (Judge), Graham Cuthbertson (Tom Davenport), Holly Gauthier Frankel (Mrs. Blair), Karl Graboshas (Bertram Cathes), Marcel Jeannin (E.K. Hornbeck), Elan Kunin (Jesse Dunlop), Daniel Lillford (Mr. Meeker), Sean McCann (Henry Drummond), Leni Parker (Mrs. Brady), Glenn Roy (Storekeeper/Sillers).
Photo: Andrée Lanthier.
Overall the play remains very entertaining, humourous, intelligent, and thought provoking even today. GO C IT! October 18 to November 8, 2009.
Segal Centre for Performing Arts
5170 Côte Ste. Catherine Rd.
www.segalcenter.org
Play by Jerome Lawrence & Robert E. Lee. Directed by Greg Kramer.
A thrilling courtroom drama inspired by the famous ‘Scopes Monkey Trial’ of 1925 in Dayton, Tennessee where schoolteacher John Scopes was accused of violating a state law against teaching the theory of human evolution. Lawrence and Lee wrote Inherit the Wind during the 1950s when Senator McCarthy was on the rampage in the United States. The play is a metaphor for the importance of intellectual freedom and the dangers of restricting free speech. "A fight for the right to be wrong." The artistic director promises the production to leave a lasting impression on theatergoers, the actors having added a unique dimension and depth to the play, and that Elli Bunton’s imaginative set will strive to bring the audience into the action.
The production is well paced, and the play a perfect length to hold the interest of most (I found myself counting the empty seats in the audience '35' during act one), and it has an equally well placed intermission. As promised the cast do leave us with a lasting impression in that there are so many of them on stage coming and going from every direction, worst choice being when they are persistently sent up through the audience, it is distracting forcing the audience to play 'where's Waldo' to locate exactly where is the focus of the scene. It's narrowed down to the the performance of Sean McCann as the defense lawyer Henry Drummond who steals the show. Despite a few scattered dropped lines in act two, he definitely holds the interest of the audience in an otherwise very 'busy' staging of an extra large ensemble, he rallies the support of the crowd with his larger than life stage presence giving us a truly memorable performance. And in the supporting cast Tamara Brown as Rachel Brown, the colleague and love interest of Karl Graboshas's character Bertram Cathes, she delivers a strong performance and lights up the stage when she in on it. Which brings me to the question of why are there so few black actors cast in this production set in the heart of the deep south. And why is the obvious 'elephant in the room' question, the issue of an 'interracial relationship', never properly addressed in the play? Huh?!
There are a few questionable staging choices throughout the production for example like when Karl confronts Tamara in Act one, he looks out away from her and moves towards the audience. Also when the prosecutor questions her on the stand in act two. I would have gone with a more intimate moment of tension between the two characters in their confrontation in act one, and I would have preferred it if the prosecutor had delivered his questions from her right side, facing the jury members and not hiding her from their gaze. Again most distracting was the forced staging sending the characters across the stage on the audience first row floor or up into the audience to exit and enter. Sending the prosecutor up the long flight of stairs through the audience at the end was the least logical. The set is at first glance is very impressive, but then it becomes somewhat less relevant and even somewhat confusing at times making it difficult to define the space of the scene of where the actors are in the play, this is more evident in act one. Act two everything becomes much more clear and is more focused and easier to follow. The pacing on the epilogue is a bit stretched out and long winded and could have done with a bit of editing. The lighting, like the set design, although very 'pretty' in looks through most of the play, doesn't always do all it could to help to define space, and there were a few moments where the faces were not as lit as well as they should be. The music is a nice selection and an appreciated addition to the overall production.
Costume concept by Susana Vera and lighting by Robert Thomson. John Gilbert is the musical director. The play stars Sean McCann (as defense lawyer Henry Drummond) and David Francis (as prosecutor Matthew Harrison Brady). Also features a huge cast of 26 including: Tamara Brown (Rachel Brown, Bill Corday (Elijah), Bill Croft (Judge), Graham Cuthbertson (Tom Davenport), Holly Gauthier Frankel (Mrs. Blair), Karl Graboshas (Bertram Cathes), Marcel Jeannin (E.K. Hornbeck), Elan Kunin (Jesse Dunlop), Daniel Lillford (Mr. Meeker), Sean McCann (Henry Drummond), Leni Parker (Mrs. Brady), Glenn Roy (Storekeeper/Sillers).
Photo: Andrée Lanthier.
Overall the play remains very entertaining, humourous, intelligent, and thought provoking even today. GO C IT! October 18 to November 8, 2009.
Segal Centre for Performing Arts
5170 Côte Ste. Catherine Rd.
www.segalcenter.org
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