In a Plea for Genuine Academic Freedom, New Play Turns Inherit the Wind Topsy Turvy

You probably know the basic plot of the tired old film and play Inherit the Wind. For teaching Darwin's theory of evolution in a small Southern town, freethinking biology teacher Bertram Cates gets prosecuted by Christian fundamentalists. Loosely based on the infamous Scopes trial, Inherit the Wind is much more propaganda than history, yet it continues to shape popular culture's understanding of the debate over Darwinian evolution.

So congratulations to Los Angeles-based playwright and acto...