This year marks Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday as well as the 150th anniversary of his publication “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection."
The College of Arts & Sciences
is celebrating by having a “Themester” or themed semester
focusing on evolution, diversity and change.
In response to this, The Cardinal
Stage Company will be producing “Inherit the Wind,” a fictional
play portraying the famous 1925 Scopes Trial, which focused on the controversy
between religion and Darwin’s theory of evolution.
John T. Scopes, a public high school teacher from Dayton, Tenn., purposely taught his class the theory of evolution. It was decided that Scopes was breaking the Butler Act, a 1925 Tennessee law prohibiting public school teachers from denying the Biblical account of mankind’s origin.
“The idea of evolution or
simply, the right to think and speak freely in America is what makes
this play such a hot topic,” said the show’s director Randy White.
The play will jumpstart the College's Themester at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Waldron Arts Center Auditorium with performances running through Sept. 20.
Ticket prices are $12 for children, $15 for students and $24.50 for adults. Interested patrons should visit www.cardinalstage.org for ticket information and show times.
