Darrow would have made great fodder for today’stabloids, handling cases like Leopold and Loeb, the teenage thrill killers whomurdered 14-year-old Bobby Franks. And there’s the famous Scopes (Monkey)Trial, which pitted creationism in schools against the teaching of evolution.
One of the challenges in adapting historicalmaterial for the stage, especially in Darrow’s caseor casesis what to includeand exclude. In Rintels’ two-hour version, the more infamous cases getdownplayed while others, such as Darrow defending the McNamara brothers accusedof the 1910 bombing of the Los AngelesTimes building during a bitter labor struggle, get center stage. Thoughthis case provides additional stage fodder for Darrow’s own trial (unjustlyaccused of bribing jurors during the McNamara trial), it’s simply lessinteresting than the cases that made the lawyer’s reputation.
Fortunately the actor playing Darrow, local stageveteran David Ferrie, turns in a fine performance as the witty humanitarianfighting corruption and “big business” to defend downtrodden employees orpeople unjustly accused of crimes based on the color of their skin.
It’s a tough job that Ferrie handles well,especially considering that he’s cross-examining “witnesses” that the audiencemust imagine or having conversations with people who aren’t present. Given theminimal set and lack of fellow actors and costume changes, Ferrie’s ability toflesh out the lawyer personally and professionally is all the more impressive.
“History repeats itself. That’s one of the thingswrong with history,” says Darrow in reference to the McNamara bombing trial. AsClarenceDarrow attests, history at least had a warrior who fought “the goodfight” in hopes of change.
ClarenceDarrow runs through Nov. 1 at Boulevard Ensemble Studio Theatre, 2252 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.