Ed Dixon and Scott Jaeck Lead Cast of INHERIT THE WIND at The Cleveland Play House

Veteran actors Ed Dixon and Scott Jaeck lead the cast of The Cleveland Play House production of Inherit the Wind, written by Jerome Lawrence & Robert Edwin Lee and directed by Associate Artistic Director Seth Gordon. The evolution vs. creationism argument is at the center of this American classic, whose inspiration was the 1925 "Scopes Monkey Trial," in which Tennessee schoolteacher John Scopes was arrested for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution in violation of state law. In The Play House's first revival since staging Inherit the Wind more than 50 years ago, Dixon plays the role of attorney Matthew Harrison Brady (based on William Jennings Bryan), and Jaeck plays attorney Henry Drummond (based on Clarence Darrow). This gripping adaptation of the Jerome Lawrence-Robert E. Lee play examines an issue that still causes great controversy: the role religion should play in the schools. Bertram T. Cates is...The two master attorneys square off in the courtroom while the teacher's fate hangs in the balance. Inherit the Wind begins in the Drury Theatre at The Cleveland Play House on Friday, October 23 and runs through Sunday, November 15, 2009. Tickets are on sale now at The Cleveland Play House box office by calling 216.795.7000 ext 4 or online at www.clevelandplayhouse.com. Inherit the Wind is presented with support from Baker & Hostetler, Benesch Attorneys at Law, Ulmer & Berne LLP, Reminger CO LPA, Thorman & Hardin-Levine and the John P. Murphy Foundation. In an unusual twist, attorneys from these and other Cleveland area law firms will serve as onstage juries during each performance.

In addition to his numerous credits in Chicago including The Goodman Theatre and Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Scott Jaeck's Broadway credits include August: Osage County and The Night of the Iguana. His television credits include: Prison Break, E.R., Charmed, NYPD Blue, Star Trek: Voyager and Next Generation; and Seinfeld. Ed Dixon‘s extensive Broadway credits include Sunday in the Park with George, The Best Man, The Iceman Cometh, Les Misérables, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Cyrano, and The Three Musketeers.

In talking about his leads, who are supported by a cast of local favorites and third year MFA graduate students, Gordon remarks, "This play has a huge cast but its success rests quite a bit on the skill and gravitas of the actors playing the two attorneys. I feel so lucky and privileged to work with [Scott Jaeck and Ed Dixon] who are more than up to the task, who love the play and what it has to say, and who are embodying their roles with such sensitivity and poetry."

ABOUT THE PLAY and PLAYWRIGHTS
First performed in 1955 and often considered one of the great American plays of the twentieth century, Inherit the Wind is a fictionalized account of the 1925 Scopes 'Monkey' trial in which a high school teacher stands trial for teaching his class about Darwin's theory of evolution. Subsequently, two legal titans confront each other when a community puts freedom of thought to the test. In the Book of Proverbs 11: 23, King Solomon is quoted as saying, "He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind, and the fool shall be servant to the wise in heart." This passage is taken to inspire the title of the play Inherit the Wind.

Even though Jerome Lawrence (born in Cleveland OH) and Robert E. Lee (born in Elyria OH) had grown up only about 30 miles from each other, they did not meet until 1942 in New York City, where they formed a partnership to write and direct plays. Both men joined the army in 1942 and worked for Armed Forces Radio during World War II, temporarily suspending their professional collaboration. Their partnership resumed, however, after they returned home. Combining their talents, Lawrence and Lee wrote a myriad of plays and musicals, screenplays, radio plays, and scripts for radio and television programs, as well as stories and articles for various publications, biographies, and textbooks. The Cleveland Play House premiered their play First Monday in October, which eventually played on Broadway with Henry Ford and Jane Alexander.

In their work, Lawrence (an Ohio State University graduate) and Robert E. Lee (an Ohio Wesleyan University graduate) placed their characters in significant social contexts. Lawrence and Lee were relentless in their determination to fight limitations placed on the individual mind, such as censorship and bigotry. They won two Peabody Awards for Distinguished Achievement in Broadcasting, as well as the American Theatre Association Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1990, they became members of the College of Fellows of the American Theatre at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and were inducted into the National Theatre Hall of Fame. The Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute was established at Ohio State University in 1986, serving as an archive and advancing the study and inspiration of the performing arts. Dedicated teachers of playwriting, Lawrence and Lee communicated to their students a passionate belief that the theatre must be a forum for ideas and issues of social significance.

LOCAL LAW FIRMS TO FILL JURY BOX ON STAGE
Not only are the playwrights of Inherit the Wind from the Cleveland area, but the juries in The Play House production of the play have been "cast" from law firms who call Cleveland their corporate home. To make the most of these unique community resources, members of these law firms have been invited to join Dixon and Jaeck and the cast of Inherit the Wind as members of the jury, on stage, during a performance. As director Seth Gordon states, "Participating in this production can be an invigorating experience for two reasons: jurors get the thrill of being on stage as characters based on William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow battle it out, and they get to participate in this wonderfully moving and dramatic celebration of individual rights." Companies confirmed to participate include Benesch, Ulmer & Berne, Baker & Hostelter, Thorman, Hardin-Levine and Reminger.

INHERIT THE WIND Cast:
For complete biographies, visit http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com/inheritthewind_cast.asp?eventID=60
*Denotes members of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

AJ CEDEÑO* (Ensemble) performed in The CWRU/ Cleveland Play House MFA Acting Program production of All's Well that Ends Well.

LAUREN COLE (Melinda) is a sixth-grade student at Hawken School and played Helen in last season's Cleveland Play House production of A Christmas Story.

Ed Dixon* (Matthew Harrison Brady) is from New York City and his many Broadway appearances include Sunday in the Park with George, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Gore Vidal's The Best Man, The Iceman Cometh, Les Misérable, Cyrano de Bergerac, The Three Musketeers, and The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Michael Flood* (Ensemble) was featured in CWRU/Cleveland Play House MFA Actor Training Program productions of All's Well that Ends Well as Elder Dumaine.

MARK Alan Gordon* (Reverend Jeremiah Brown) is the Associate Director of The CWRU/ Cleveland Play House MFA Acting Program and performed in The Cleveland Play House productions of Pride and Prejudice and Room Service.

ZAC HOOGENDYK* (Tom Davenport) appeared in The CWRU/ Cleveland Play House MFA Acting Program production of All's Well that Ends Well as Parolles.

LINDSAY IUEN* (Mrs. McClain) performed for The CWRU/ Cleveland Play House MFA Acting Program in the roles of Countess and Mariana in All's Well that Ends Well.

Scott Jaeck* (Henry Drummond) most recently appeared in the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning August: Osage County on Broadway.

ANNE McEVOY (Mrs. Brady) is making her first mainstage appearance at The Cleveland Play House where she recently played Mom in the Theater for Children production of Bunnicula.

CAMERON McKENDRY (Howard Blair) an eighth-grade student at St. Albert the Great School in North Royalton, portrayed Scut Farkas for the past two seasons of A Christmas Story at The Cleveland Play House.

MARK MONDAY (Mr. Meeker) most recently appeared as Erronius in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Porthouse Theatre.

SARAH NEDWEK* (Rachel Brown) appeared in The CWRU/ Cleveland Play House MFA Acting Program production of All's Well that Ends Well as Isbel and Diana.

TOM PICASSO* (Ensemble) was seen in The CWRU/ Cleveland Play House MFA Acting Program production of All's Well that Ends Well as Bertram.

SCOTT PLATE* (E.K. Hornbeck) has directed or performed in over seventy Cleveland-area productions. He is Department Chair of Music Theatre at Baldwin-Wallace College.

Dudley Swetland* (Judge) frequently appeared at Great Lakes Theater Festival, most recently in the roles of Aegeon in The Comedy of Errors and Sorin in The Seagull.

ROHN THOMAS* (Mayor) returns to The Cleveland Play House where a few favorite roles include Sturdyvant in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Mr. Kraler in The Diary of Anne Frank and Boss in Of Mice and Men.

Tom White* (Bertram Cates) was recently seen in The CWRU/ Cleveland Play House MFA Acting Program production of All's Well that Ends Well as King and Colour Sergeant.

LEIGH WILLIAMS* (Mrs. Krebs) is a third year student in The CWRU/ Cleveland Play House MFA Acting Program and is recipient of the Chloe Oldenburg Scholarship (2010). MS. Williams appeared as Hellen in All's Well that Ends Well.

INHERIT THE WIND Creative Team:
Jerome Lawrence AND Robert E. Lee (Playwrights) collaborated for more than fifty years and were among the most prolific playwriting teams in the American theater. In addition to their Pulitzer-nominated Inherit the Wind, their other major stage works include the comedy hit Auntie Mame, the books for the musicals Mame and Dear World, and the plays The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail, The Gang's All Here, and First Monday in October (the latter premiered at The Cleveland Play House during the 1975-1976 season). They won two Peabody Awards for Distinguished Achievement in Broadcasting and the American Theatre Association Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1990, they became members of the College of Fellows of the American Theatre at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and were inducted into the National Theatre Hall of Fame. The Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute was established at Ohio State University in 1986. Dedicated teachers of playwriting, they communicated to their students a passionate belief that the theater must be a forum for ideas and issues of social significance.

Seth Gordon (Director) is associate artistic director of The Cleveland Play House, where he produces FusionFest, runs the Playwrights' Unit, and assists with season planning. Mr. Gordon directed Play House productions of Dinner with Friends, Proof, Forest City (world premiere), Vincent in Brixton, Tuesdays with Morrie, A Christmas Story, The Wind in the Willows (Play House Theater for Children series), RFK, Of Mice and Men, Ferdinand the Bull (Theater for Children series), The Chosen, Doubt, and The Lady with All the Answers. He served as associate producer of Primary Stages in New York City, where he produced and/or directed countless productions, workshops, and readings of new plays by America's leading playwrights. Here in Cleveland, Mr. Gordon has directed for Dobama Theatre, The Beck Center for the Arts, and Cleveland Shakespeare Festival. He directed the Arabic premiere of Our Town at el-Hanager Theatre in Cairo, Egypt. Mr. Gordon has directed at many New York theaters, including Ensemble Studio Theatre and Theatre for the New City; and directed and lectured at various universities, including Case Western Reserve University. He received the Northern Ohio Live Award for Excellence in Theatre in 2004 and 2006. He considers himself a lucky man.

The design team for Inherit the Wind includes Michael Raiford (Scenic Designer), Charlene Gross (Costume Design), Trad Burns (Lighting Designer) and James C. Swonger (Sound Design). The Cleveland Play House's Production Staff is responsible for the sets, costumes, lighting, props, furniture, scenic painting, sound, special effects and/or wigs used in this production.

SPECIAL EVENTS
Please refer to the Fact Sheet at the end of this release for details on several special events occurring during the run of Inherit the Wind at The Cleveland Play House.

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for Inherit the Wind range from $42 to $64, with discounts available for groups of ten or more, for senior citizens aged 60 and over, and for military reservists and their families. Tickets are $10 for all students under the age of 25. A limited number of $10 rush tickets go on sale 90 minutes before curtain and remain on sale until 30 minutes before curtain, based on availability. The Cleveland Play House is located at 85th and Euclid Ave. next door to the Cleveland Clinic near University Circle.

Founded in 1915, The Cleveland Play House is the first permanently established professional theatre in the United States. More than 12 million people have attended over 1,300 productions at The Play House - including more than 130 American and/or World Premieres. Today, under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Bloom and Managing Director Kevin Moore, The Cleveland Play House is an artist-driven theatre that serves the Greater Cleveland community by holding true to its mission: To produce plays of the highest professional standards that inspire, stimulate, and entertain our diverse audiences, to conduct training and educational programs that enhance the quality of life for those we serve and help to insure the future of theatre.

The Cleveland Play House is funded through the generosity of Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture and The Ohio Arts Council helps to fund The Cleveland Play House with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

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