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Festival Overview

Dayton, TN, June 6, 2008:  A new live performance will highlight the 21st annual Scopes Festival July 18-20, as the Dayton community celebrates the trial that sparked the idea to found Bryan College.

William Jennings Bryan will take the stage in the Rhea County Courthouse, through the dramatic efforts of Dr. Ted Kachel, in a program about the Great Commoner’s life and influence on America. The program will conclude with a reenactment of Bryan’s testimony during the Scopes Trial, with the part of Clarence Darrow being played by a Dayton attorney.

“Dr. Kachel has done a wonderful job distilling Bryan’s testimony for this performance,” Scopes Festival Director Tom Davis said. “He captures the heart of the matter, as well as the tension and humor that marked that critical portion of the trial.”

Prof. Kachel has toured extensively for the past 15 years, giving “mesmerizing” and “unforgettable” performances of William Jennings Bryan.

Highlighting musical performances during the festival will be old-time country musicians Norman and Nancy Blake. Norman is featured on the soundtrack of the movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and he and Nancy participated in all three major national tours promoting the movie.

Additionally, the award-winning DVD of the Scopes Trial reenactment, “Inherit the Truth,” will be shown four times throughout the weekend.

This project is funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee, the Tennessee Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.

 

FESTIVAL MUSIC

A taste of the music that became today’s country and bluegrass sounds will be the focus of entertainment during the 21st annual Scopes Festival July 18-20 at the Rhea County Courthouse.

In addition, festival-goers will be able to take advantage of a musical petting zoo to get a hands-on feel for traditional music-making.

Norman and Nancy Blake, who have been performing in concert and on movie soundtracks for more than 30 years, will headline the event. Two of Norman’s selections are included in the “O Brother, Where Art Thou” soundtrack, and Norman and Nancy are featured on the “Cold Mountain” soundtrack.

Norman has performed on recordings of Johnny Cash, the Carters, Kris Kristofferson, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, among others. In the 1990s, their recordings received a string of Grammy nominations. 

Also featured during the weekend will be Roy Harper, who traces his musical roots to the birth of country music, according to Tom Morgan, who coordinates music for the festival.

Dalton Roberts, Redbird Clingan and Peanut Faircloth again will bring their country and old-time music to the festival. With Mr. Faircloth performing on a flushaphone, their performance will be entertaining as well as musical, Mr. Morgan said.

Mr. Morgan, Sandy Gilliam and Lynne Haas will perform throughout the weekend as well as before dramatic presentations about William Jennings Bryan and the Scopes Trial in the courthouse.

The musical petting zoo is a feature for children and adults alike, Mr. Morgan said. “Anyone who wishes to learn to play a tune on a stand-up bass or dulcimer will be able to take their first lesson right there.”

 

WHY WE REMEMBER BRYAN

Before there was a Scopes Trial, William Jennings Bryan earned his reputation as a progressive politician, working for policies that benefitted the ordinary American.
 
His efforts on behalf of policies that we take for granted today – the minimum wage, workers' compensation, women’s right to vote, direct election of senators to name a few – were considered progressive in his day and helped earn him the title “The Great Commoner.”
 
Bryan’s last crusade, the Scopes Evolution Trial in Dayton in 1925, has largely overshadowed the contributions he made during his life, contributions which recently earned him recognition by a panel of historians as the 36th most influential person in American history.
 
The life and efforts on behalf of ordinary people, as well as his role in the Scopes Trial, will be the focus of the 21st annual Scopes Festival July 18-20.
 
Ted Kachel, who has presented one-man shows about William Jennings Bryan to Chautauqua audiences, historical and religious groups over the past 16 years, will bring Mr. Bryan to life once again in the historic Rhea County Courthouse. His interactive presentation, which encourages questions from the audience, will conclude with a reenactment of Bryan’s testimony during the Scopes Trial. Rick Dye of Dayton will appear in this portion of the show as Clarence Darrow.
 
The Scopes Festival also will feature musical performances by Norman and Nancy Blake of Rising Fawn, Ga. Norman was featured on the soundtrack of “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” the movie which reintroduced old-time country music to a popular audience in 2000.
 
Tickets for Dr. Kachel’s presentation, and more information about the Scopes Festival, are available from the Dayton Chamber of Commerce at 423-775-7206. Information also is available at the Bryan College web site, www.bryan.edu.
 
This project is funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee, the Tennessee Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.