Tired of put-downs, Tennessee town corrects the record with play about the Scopes trial it hosted

DAYTON, Tenn. (AP) — A small town in eastern Tennessee courted national publicity and attention a century ago when local leaders planned a test trial over the teaching of evolution in public schools. What they got from the eight-day Scopes trial was more than they bargained for.

The trial of the century — and the first to be broadcast over the radio — inspired articles, books, plays and movies, including the popular “Inherit the Wind.”

It also characterized Dayton as an uneducated town of strident Christian fundamentalists, a narrative locals have spent decades trying to rewrite.

For over 30 years, people in Rhea County have put on a play every July using the trial transcript, aiming to correct the record.

In their own words, the actors and director of “Destiny in Dayton” explain the complexities of the town captured by history.

Dan Buck was a theater professor at a nearby private university when he got an email seeking a director for the play about the Scopes trial. Buck knew about the trial, but didn't know Dayton had its own play.

“The legacy of little towns telling their own story through theater is rich history, right?” Buck said, noting the tradition was playfully lampooned in the mockumentary, “Waiting for Guffman.”

Locals have put on the play to counter the stereotypes and creative liberties from “Inherit the Wind,” as well as columnist H.L. Mencken's harsh critique of residents at the time.

“I quickly learned that the people of the town here are not real fond of the play or the movie,” Buck said. “They call it the ‘Scottish play,’ which is a reference to Macbeth, the thing you’re not supposed to say: the cursed play.”

In truth, the story of the trial was more complicated and nuanced than most people think.

John T. Scopes, the local teacher, was a willing participant in testing the anti-evolution law, and prosecutor William Jennings Bryan didn't die after the trial because he was defeated by defense attorney Clarence Darrow's arguments.

In directing the play on the trial's 100th anniversary, Buck says he is working toward the same mission Dayton leaders had a century ago.

“I am building up the buzz about this town, getting people here to get them excited, putting Dayton on the map,” Buck said. “Maybe we are trying to use this story and this trial to get a little attention to this specific place.”

Jacob Smith, 23, didn't realize his connection to the most famous trial until he started studying history. His great-great-great-grandmother's brother was Walter White, the county superintendent of schools and one of the key figures who brought the trial to Dayton.

Smith plays Dudley Field Malone, a defense attorney for Scopes who gave speeches as equally impassioned and memorable during the trial as Bryan and Darrow. One of Smith's favorite lines to deliver is a reference to the so-called battle between the two sides in court.

“He basically says, ‘There is never a duel with the truth,’” Smith said. “He said, ‘It always wins. It is no coward. It does not need the law, the forces of government, or,' and he pauses, ‘Mr. Bryan.’”

Smith is currently the county archivist, and he delights in seeing people visit Dayton’s original courthouse with its squeaky and shiny wood floors, tall windows and impressive stairs that lead up to the wide courtroom on the second floor.

“You can hold the handrails going up to that circuit courtroom, just like those lawyers would have done and all those spectators would have done back in 1925,” Smith said.

Larry Jones has acted in community and local theater since childhood, so he thought he knew the story of the Scopes trial after performing in a production of “Inherit the Wind.”

He later realized the famous play was taking creative liberties to make the trial a metaphor for something else captivating the nation's attention at the time: McCarthyism.

Jones plays the role of Bryan, a famous Christian orator and populist politician whose speeches earned him the nickname of “the Great Commoner.” He says the hardest part was not learning the lengthy speeches Bryan gives during the trial, but rather the sparring he must do when Darrow unexpectedly puts Bryan on the stand to defend the literal truth of the Bible.

“I’m just having to respond spontaneously, and it feels spontaneous every time,” Jones said. “So part of my mind is going, ‘Oh my gosh, is that the right cue? Am I going to say the right thing?’”

Jones said audiences still connect to the retelling of the trial a century later because these are issues they continue to deal with.

“People are still arguing the same case,” Jones said. “What is the role of the federal government or the state government in public school systems? What should be allowed? What shouldn’t be allowed? What can parents exert influence over for their children’s sake? Whether it’s evolution or whether it’s literature or any of the political issues that are abundant today, it still is the same argument.”

The outcome of the trial was no great surprise. The jury found Scopes guilty after a few minutes of deliberation. The defense attorneys' goal all along, however, was to take the legal argument to a higher court.

Today, Dayton embraces its place in history with the annual celebration of the trial. Businesses advertise and promote the “Monkey trial.” And locals have adopted the phrase: “Dayton has evolved.”

“We’re dusting off a very old story, but it’s very new,” said Buck. “It’s very, very right now.”

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Director Dan Buck poses for a portrait before a rehersal of "Destiny in Dayton", July 8, 2025, in Dayton, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Jacob Smith, who plays the role of Dudley Field Malone in the play "Destiny in Dayton" poses for a portrait, July 8, 2025, in Dayton, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

The Rhea County courthouse where the "Scopes monkey trial" was held in 1925 is seen, July 8, 2025, in Dayton, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Anthony Smith who plays the roles of Walter White and Sue Hicks in the play "Destiny in Dayton" sits with a typewriter during a rehearsal, July 8, 2025, in Dayton, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

A Bible is placed on the set during a rehearsal for the play "Destiny in Dayton", July 8, 2025, in Dayton, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Larry Jones, who portrays William Jennings Bryan, in white suit, rehearses with other actors in the play "Destiny in Dayton", July 8, 2025, in Dayton, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

FILE - Judge John T. Raulston of Winchester, Tenn., holds the decision in the Tennessee vs. John Scopes case at the Rhea County Courthouse in Dayton, Tenn., on July 17, 1925. (AP Photo/File)

Larry Jones, who portrays William Jennings Bryan, left, rehearses with other actors in the play "Destiny in Dayton", July 8, 2025, in Dayton, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Stan Lane, portraying Judge John T. Raulston in the play "Destiny in Dayton" acts during a rehearsal, July 8, 2025, in Dayton, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Trevor Lawrence spun and rolled left to avoid pressure, squared his shoulders as much as possible with a defender in his face and heaved the ball 50 yards toward the sideline.

It looked like a potential throwaway.

It was actually a perfectly placed pass to Parker Washington, who was sprinting across the field.

Lawrence smiled and shrugged his shoulders toward Jacksonville’s bench — an acknowledgement that it was the second time in as many weeks he turned a busted play into a big gain — and moved on. There really wasn’t much else to say as the best performance of Lawrence’s five-year NFL career unfolded against the New York Jets.

Lawrence finished with 330 yards passing, five touchdowns and a career-high 136.7 passer rating. He also ran for 51 yards and a score. Three days later, Lawrence was named AFC offensive player of the week.

He has a shot at being the league's conference player of the month for December, especially if he continues to ascend when the surprising Jaguars (10-4) play at stingy Denver (12-2) on Sunday.

“I feel like I’m seeing it really well,” Lawrence said. “I think I’m throwing it well. Offensively, in general, it’s never about one guy. As an offense, we’re really synced up right now, especially in the passing game and protecting up front.

“We all have a lot of confidence in what we’re doing. It seems like we’ve got the ball rolling the last few weeks, so it feels good.”

Lawrence has thrown for at least 225 yards and two TDs in four consecutive weeks. He also has no turnovers in his last three games — Lawrence’s longest, mistake-free stretch since the Jaguars drafted him as the top pick in 2021.

There are reasons for his recent surge.

Coach Liam Coen tops the list. The play-caller and Lawrence have figured each other out, building a level of consistency and cohesion Lawrence rarely found as a rookie under coach Urban Meyer or in three years under Doug Pederson, who changed passing game coordinators and gave up play-calling duties after his first season in Jacksonville.

Coen has drawn rave reviews inside the team facility for his communication skills and his willingness to adjust — no moves bigger than trading for sure-handed receivers Jakobi Meyers and Tim Patrick, inserting backup left tackle Cole Van Lanen into the starting lineup and remaining committed to a ground game that helps keep Lawrence upright and healthy.

“As you’re building, you just have to make sure you’re doing right by the whole place and putting the best 11 out there,” Coen said. “Individual success is extremely important to us. You want every player to get what they truly deserve and earn. … But it has to come back to the team first.

“Ultimately, everything we’re trying to do is to do that. Put the team first, protect the team and give ourselves the best chance to go win on Sunday.”

The Jaguars have won five in a row and six of seven since their bye, the only loss being the biggest collapse in franchise history. They are averaging 34.2 points a game during the winning streak, with Lawrence getting — and deserving — much of the credit.

He finally looks like the generational quarterback the Jaguars thought they were getting nearly five years ago when the previously winless Jets beat the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland in consecutive weeks late in the 2020 season to essentially hand the top draft pick to Jacksonville.

His mistakes are down, and he’s using his legs like never before. He ranks fifth in franchise history with 20 rushing scores, including a career-high six this season, and sits third in franchise history with 92 TD passes in 74 starts.

He passed David Garrard (89) last week and has Blake Bortles (103) and Mark Brunell (144) within reach considering Lawrence signed a five-year, $275 million contract with the Jaguars before the 2024 season.

He is currently tied for sixth in the NFL with 23 TD passes, two shy of his career best set in 2023. More importantly, the Jaguars have double-digit wins for the second time in 18 seasons and are on the verge of making the playoffs for just the fifth time this century.

“It all starts with him, and he’s doing a great job,” Meyers said. “Up or down, we’re going to rock with him regardless. So, wherever he goes, we’re going.”

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Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) runs with ball against New York Jets cornerback Qwan'Tez Stiggers (37) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) throws a pass against the New York Jets during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) looks on during the second half against the New York Jets an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)