By Kimberly Harper
In another bit of fantastic theater, God goes on trial and Ocean State Theatre Company continues its stellar season with “Inherit the Wind,” Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee’s 1950s fictionalization of the historical Scopes Monkey Trial. And under the direction of Fred Sullivan Jr., this already powerful story hooks the audience and doesn’t let go until well after the last bow.
Bert Cates is a schoolteacher in the fictional, very religious southern Hillsboro in 1925, where it’s illegal to teach anything that might contradict the Bible. Though he’s engaged to the fire-and-brimstone Baptist minister’s daughter Rachel, he finds it impossible to keep his head down and refrain from teaching Darwin’s theories of evolution, which lands him in jail and puts the town under the national microscope.
Enter two heavy hitter lawyers, Matthew Harrison Brady and Henry Drummond. Old friends but theistic adversaries, both bring their own ulterior motives for winning the trial the entire country is focused on. As tensions heighten, the town is forced to choose whether they’ll stand by their literal Biblical interpretations and malign a man they’ve previously admired, or admit that perhaps two truths can coexist.
The script alone is enough to give you chills, but the direction and stellar acting across the board make this particular production one for the ages. Tom Gleadow as Drummond and Brandon Whitehead as Brady are both perfectly suited to their roles. Their performances are infused with the kind of tensions and camaraderie that speak to their characters’ long history. Also notable here is Karen Kessler’s performance as Brady’s wife. It’s established that Drummond and Mrs. Brady are also old friends, and their chemistry is absolutely endearing. But more than that, watching Kessler in Act 2 is a master class in reactions. There’s one especially notable Drummond/Brady courtroom argument at the top of the act, but it’s worth tearing yourself away from the action occasionally to watch Mrs. Brady taking in the scene from her courtroom seat. The entire scene is almost literally breathtaking.
Marc Dante Mancini does an incredible job as Cates, giving a nuanced and very human performance, along with Nora Eschenheimer as Rachel. It’s clear their characters care for each other, and Rachel’s angst at defying her father to support Cates is palpable. She’s another one to watch for reactions to everything playing out around her.
Also notable is the music, which Sullivan has inserted throughout the show. It’s all period-appropriate and often religious, and creates a fully immersive experience for the audience. The assassination on science and thought is infuriating at times, other moments will move you to tears. There are times when the script seems almost over the top, until you remember that these kinds of scenes are still playing out all over the country on a daily basis. The story, written in response to the McCarthyism dividing the country almost 70 years ago, is as relevant as ever, and Ocean State’s treatment of it is one of the best things you’ll see anywhere.
“Inherit the Wind” runs through April 16 at Ocean State Theatre Company, 1245 Jefferson Blvd., Warwick. Tickets start at $29 and may be purchased at oceanstatetheatre.org or by calling 401-921-1777.
