INHERIT THE WIND

It was a play about pretty much a teacher going against the rules of the Bible belt. All the teacher wanted to was teach the children a different option of the story.

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The movie was really great- I don't know how closely it follows the play, but it's worth watching regardless.

It takes place largely in the courtroom, which, IMO would be a tough place for a musical to thrive. But if you believe in it, there's always a way.
NYMF presents The Big Voice: God or Merman?

I imagine some songs in the "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better" style for the courthouse scenes. Bickering set to music.

Read Musicman's post again. He hits the nail right on the head.

The addition of a score would not tell this story better.

The play is worth reading. So is the historical context and having the knowledge of who the principals were in the Scopes trial: Clarence Darrow, William Jennings Bryan and H.L. Menken, all of whom are presented in fictionalized form in this play and film.

The Scopes trial concerned a small town teacher who became a test case, and he taught Darwin to his students breaking Tennessee law. The case attracted national attention when Darrow and Bryan entered the scene. Scopes was found guilty and fined $100 but the trial did lead to the law being changed.

In 1967 this was my 11th grade play. It was a controversial choice then since we did live in a conservative rural area of Pennsylvania. However the way the wind has been blowing the last 20-25 years, we could not have mounted the show today.

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