Program Type:
Featured, Author Talk, Book Discussion, Community Engagement, Cultural Appreciation, Literature, Local Author, Performing Arts, Right to Read- Registration is encouraged for this event.
- Registration is no longer available for this event.
Program Description
Event Details
The year 2025 marks of the 100-year anniversary of the Scopes Monkey Trial that pitted science education against the biblical story of creation then mandated as law by the State of Tennessee.
In commemoration of this 100th anniversary, New Fortune Theatre presents an exploration of these same issues with a one-night-only staged reading of The Dover Panda Trial starring Star Trek actor John de Lancie and an incredible ensemble of local actors. The reading will be followed by a Q&A discussion with the audience.
Registration encouraged. Please scroll down.
About the Dover Panda Trial:
Co-written by John de Lancie and Kristen Tregar, The Dover Panda Trial is a radio-style play based on the actual transcripts and surrounding footage from the 2005 trial, Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School Board—where the school board in Dover, Pennsylvania was sued for requiring the teaching of a new “science” called “Intelligent Design” alongside Darwinian evolution in the ninth-grade science classroom.
About the Writers:
John de Lancie has enjoyed an eclectic career. Widely recognized for his roles in Breaking Bad and, most iconically, as “Q” in the Star Trek franchise de Lancie’s interests extend far beyond the screen.
He is especially proud of his work developing programs for symphony orchestras, including New York and Los Angeles. He was also the co-owner—with Leonard Nimoy—of Alien Voices, a production company dedicated to dramatizing classic science fiction. His commitment to science education began after touring the country with Ed Asner in a stage production about the Scopes Monkey Trial. That experience opened his eyes to the fervent opposition some religious organizations have mounted against the teaching of evolution.
Kristen Tregar received her PhD in theatre from UC San Diego. She spent 15 years in New York, where she taught science and drama for 7 years at an independent school before relocating to San Diego. Her experience as a dramaturg has included the development of new plays and films, including The Dover Panda Trial.
There will be an American Monkeys book sale written by New Fortune Theatre’s A.J. Schaar about the Scopes Monkey Trial.