CLARENCE DARROW APPEARS AT THE NEWTOWN HISTORICAL SOCIETY

If you asked the next ten people passing you at the supermarket to name a famous lawyer, the majority would probably answer Clarence Darrow. Not only is he an iconic figure in the legal world, but in the popular imagination as well. On Tuesday, November 13, at 7.30 in the community room of the Booth Library, 25 Main Street (route 25) in Newtown, Darrow will come alive in the person of Richard Clark.

Darrow achieved fame for his defense of several high profile cases, including the Leopold – Loeb “thrill” murder case. But, perhaps due to the successful play and motion picture based on the case, he is best remembered for the defense of John Scopes in the famous Monkey Trial of 1925. Going up against the equally famous and well-loved William Jennings Bryan, Darrow was able to expose the hypocrisy and insincerity of many of those opposing the relatively new teaching of evolution. Clark will show us how he did it in an evening of tense courtroom drama, with some comic relief along the way.

Richard Clark is a professional actor who developed as his niche the one-person dramatization of the life and time of an historical figure, and has been working on creating a repertoire since 1998. Although never attracted to the glitter level of acting, he has been performing since he was six. When the urge to go professional arose, Clark gave up his financial services business and turned the acting avocation into a full time professional activity. He bases his scripts on autobiographies and letters of his subjects as well as other written interpretation, including other plays. He ends each performance with a epilogue on the character of the person portrayed, giving the audience further opportunity to get to know the man they have just been watching.

One of his favorite characters on his list of portrayals is Darrow. Of him Clark says, “He’s the most thought provoking, the most personally satisfying to play because of the subject matter. Not that I believe in his philosophies, but I admire the courage of his conviction. He was a beacon in the darkness of a terrible time in the history of this country.”

All Newtown Historical Society programs are free and open to the public; please note the Tuesday date to accommodate Veterans Day. Refreshments will be served following the presentation. For further information, please call the Society at 203-426-5937.