[NEohioPAL]Berko review: CLARENCE DARROW (Actors' Summit)

[Roy Berko]

‘CLARENCE DARROW’ WINS CASE AT ACTOR’S SUMMIT

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	


Clarence Darrow was probably the most celebrated
American lawyer of the 20th century.  Though he died
in 1938, his fame continues.  He is often quoted in
matters of evolution, religion, unionism and freedom
of expression.

Darrow’s life has been put on the stage in several
formats.  In the 1970s a one-man production, ‘CLARENCE
DARROW: A ONE MAN PLAY,’ starred Henry Fonda. 
“COMPULSION’ centered on Darrow’s defense of murderers
Leopold and Loeb.  ‘INHERIT THE WIND,” by Cleveland
and Elyria’s Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee,
illuminated Darrow’s defense of the evolution teaching
science instructor John Scopes.  And David W. Rintels
wrote the play ‘CLARENCE DARROW,’ which is now being
staged by Actors’ Summit, Hudson’s professional
theatre.  

Darrow has deep Ohio roots.  He was born in1857, near
Kinsman, Ohio.  He lived all of his youth and young
adulthood in that small community which helped set his
life-belief patterns.  He was admitted to the Ohio bar
in 1878 at the age of 21.   

He later moved to Chicago where he established himself
as a proficient lawyer and a powerful speaker.  He
gained a national reputation as a labor and criminal
lawyer thanks to his 1895 defense of Eugene V. Debs,
president of the American Railway Union, who had been
arrested on a federal charge of contempt of court over
difficulties arising out of the Pullman strike of
1894.   

Darrow did not shy away from controversy.  He took on
cases and causes which he felt would advance human
rights and protect against human indignity.  His two
most famous trials were the Leopold-Loeb murder case
of 1924 and the 1925 trial of John T. Scopes.   He
saved Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb from
execution--but not from prison--for the murder of
14-year-old Robert Franks.   The Scopes trial
concerned the teaching of evolution,  which was
against Tennessee law. The prosecuting attorney in
this famous "monkey trial" was William Jennings Bryan.


Darrow had strong convictions on many subjects,
especially religion.  Once, when asked his attitude
toward that subject, Darrow replied: "I am an Agnostic
because I am not afraid to think. I am not afraid of
any god in the universe who would send me or any other
man or woman to hell. If there were such a being, he
would not be a god; he would be a devil."
 
Though historical, Rintels’ play is very contemporary.
 Several comments about the corruption of politicians,
especially in the wake of the recent Bush
administration’s brushes with honesty, brought huge
laughs and even applause from the audience.  The
teaching of evolution is in the forefront of the news
with the push by religionists to force the teaching of
the pseudo-science, “intelligent design,” in public
school science classrooms.  The questions over the
death penalty are still with us.   Darrow’s view on
these topics is clear....politicians have to be
monitored and questioned; evolution is science,
creationism is not; and “I’m proud of the fact that
102 of my clients faced the death penalty and none
were hanged!”  As one openong-night attendee stated
during the reception following the performance, “Where
is Darrow when we need him?”

A. Neil Thackaberry is Darrow.  His task is daunting. 
The number of lines to memorize is awesome...35 or so
pages...all are his speeches!  Thackaberry is
excellent!  His performance is relaxed and offhanded. 
He wisely doesn’t fake an orator’s voice.   He invites
us into his thoughts and memories as if they are
completely spontaneous.  He adds vocalized pauses and
thought spaces to create total naturalism.   He
clearly separates casual conversation from appeals to
the jury by not only changing his physical demeanor,
but by putting on or taking off his jacket.   His is a
well-thought out performance which has been well-honed
by director Alex Cikra. 

MaryJo Alexander has done a stellar job with props and
the single costume.  The stage is littered with
age-perfect “things.”  Things like an old upright
typewriter, an old fashioned lamp, weathered books,
and a worn leather chair.  Darrow, who was noted as
often looking like he slept in his clothes, which he
often did, was perfectly dressed in an ill-fitting
wrinkled suit, crinkled shirt and scuffed shoes.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:   One-man shows are hard to stage
as it is difficult to grab and hold an audience with
little action and no interaction.  Actors’ Summit
seems to have a way of pulling it off.  Last yer Wayne
Turney won acting raves (including a Times Tribute
Award) for his performance as Harry Truman, and now
Thackaberry pulls off this fine portrayal as Darrow. 
Go see this production!  You will not only get a fine
history lesson, but see a wonderful performance.

For tickets to the production, which runs through
November 20, call 330-342-0800 or go on-line to
www.actorssummit.org.



Roy Berko's web page can be found at www.royberko.info.  His theatre and dance reviews appear on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.


		
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