Little Theatre opens its season with “Inherit the Wind”

By: Brendan Hammond, Contributing Writer

The Canisius University Little Theatre had a very successful start to their show season with “Inherit the Wind,” directed by Jamie Kosten. The production brought together courtroom drama, humor and moments of personal conflict, offering an exciting opening to the year. 

Following a schoolteacher’s trial for teaching evolution, “Inherit the Wind” asks its performers to navigate both heated public debate and the quieter consequences of standing apart from a community. These pressures gave the production its emotional center. Beyond the arguments about science and religion was a deeply human story about conviction, belonging and the freedom to think. 

The courtroom confrontations provided the production’s most forceful dramatic material, with the conflict between attorneys Henry Drummond (Adam McCrossan) and Matthew Harrison Brady (Aedan McGann) driving the action. Yet the story also depended on the people surrounding them. The ensemble’s role as townspeople, witnesses and spectators helped establish a community in which the trial’s outcome mattered far beyond the defendant. 

Humor offered a welcome counterpoint to the play’s heavier themes. Its presence made room for an audience to laugh while still considering the uncomfortable questions at the heart of the story. The movement between public spectacle and personal vulnerability gave the production opportunities for both energy and reflection. 

The performance also represented the collective effort that makes student theatre possible and so special. Cast members and those working behind the scenes contributed to a shared undertaking, balancing the demands of a substantial play with the responsibilities of college life to create a shared piece of art we all take pride in. That commitment deserves recognition alongside the work visible onstage. 

As a season opener, “Inherit the Wind” gave Little Theatre an opportunity to entertain while encouraging thoughtful conversation. The production’s significance lay in bringing its questions into a shared space, where an audience could experience the tensions of the story together. It was a meaningful beginning to the season and a celebration of the collaborative spirit of campus theatre.