Tidewater Community College Theatre will hold open auditions for the fall production of “Inherit the Wind.” 

When:  Sept. 6 from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre, room 4102, on the Chesapeake Campus, 1428 Cedar Road. 

Callbacks: To be determined.

The story: Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee wrote “Inherit the Wind.” This lively courtroom drama dives into the 1925 Scopes “Monkey” Trial. The play is set in the town of Hillsboro and follows the trial of a young teacher, Bertram Cates, who is accused of violating state law by teaching Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution in a public school.

Two famous lawyers, Henry Drummond and Matthew Harrison Brady, represent the opposing sides. The trial becomes a clash between science and religion, modernity and tradition, and freedom of thought and dogmatic beliefs. The play explores these themes while also delving into the personal relationships and emotions of the characters involved.

The trial takes unexpected turns, challenging the beliefs of both the characters and the audience. “Inherit the Wind” raises questions about intellectual freedom, the role of religion in society, and the tensions between progress and conservatism.

Prepare:  Please prepare a one-minute monologue or one of the two sides below. All roles are open to all genders and ethnicities.

Rehearsal and show information: Rehearsals are tentatively scheduled for Monday – Thursday from 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., starting on Sept. 11 and running through Oct. 18.

The show dates are October 19-21 at 7:30 p.m. and October 22 at 2 p.m. and October 26-28 at 7:30 p.m. In addition, Sept. 11 will be the read from 7:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. You must be available for all the show dates and rehearsals.

Sides:

Rachel – I remember feeling this way when I was a little girl. I would wake up at night, terrified of the dark. I’d think sometimes that my bed was on the ceiling, and the whole house was upside down; and if I didn’t hang onto the mattress, I might fall outward into the stars.   I wanted to run to my father, and have him tell me I was safe, that everything was all right. But I was always more frightened of him than I was of falling. It’s the same way now.

Hornbeck – Matthew Harrison Brady died of a busted belly. You know what I thought of him, and I know what you thought. Let us leave the lamentations to the illiterate. Why should we weep for him? He cried enough for himself. The national tear-duct from Weeping Water, Nebraska, who flooded the whole nation like a one-man Mississippi. How do you write an obituary for a man who has been dead for thirty years?

If you have any questions, please contact Matthew Gorris at mgorris@tcc.edu.