Tickets to reading of 'Tennessee Monkey Trial' offered

The great debate between evolution and creationism that played out in a Tennessee courthouse in 1925 has been turned into a play, "The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial." You can see Ed Asner star in a free live reading of the play as it's taped for radio Monday at 7 p.m. at Harvard. But only if you act fast: Tickets are available by lottery only, and the deadline to enter is today.

"The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial," a docudrama written by Peter Goodchild , re-creates the court case that put high school science teacher John Thomas Scopes on trial for teaching evolution, then forbidden in Tennessee schools. LA Theatre Works , which presents readings of plays in its radio program "The Play's the Thing," is bringing a touring production to Cambridge. WGBH will tape the show and air it in the future . 'GBH airs "The Play's the Thing" the first Sunday of the month at 10 p.m.

The original trial was the first court case to be broadcast on radio in the United States. "The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial" was commissioned for radio by LATW and the BBC, and it was recorded and broadcast in 1992 in the United States and Great Britain. It starred Asner as William Jennings Bryan ; he's reprising the role.

At the Institute of Politics, Harvard, 79 JFK St., Cambridge. Tickets by lottery: Visit iop.harvard.edu. Winners will be notified by e-mail. 617-496-3864.