Sinclair Lewis’ novel It Can’t Happen Here was published in 1935. A year later it was turned into a play by the author working with John C. Moffitt. The play opened on Broadway in 1936.
Berkeley Rep has recorded a new radio version of It Can’t Happen Here that was written by Tony Taccone and Bennett S. Cohen. Center Theatre Group is one of over 60 theatres across the country to be able to make this radio play available. Streaming of It Can’t Happen Here begins today at 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PDT and can be found here.
What is It Can’t Happen Here? In Lewis’ novel, “Buzz” Windrip has been elected president. He’s a politician who believes in traditional values and goes about returning the country to those values by using scare tactics and offering up rather severe ideas of how to change both the economy and society, all under the guise of patriotism. Aided by the military, Windrip takes full control of the government and enacts marshall law. One journalist, Doremus Jessop, fervently opposes Windrip’s regime and, as a member of a liberal group, does all he can to reveal Windrip for who and what he is.
Remember that when this novel was published, it was during the rise of Fascism in Europe with leaders like Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini having taken power.
In 2016 Berkeley Rep debuted its new adaptation. The debut of this version of It Can’t Happen Here occurred just prior to the 2016 election. They have reunited most of the original cast and director Lisa Peterson for their radio play.
David Kelly returns as Windrip. New to the cast is David Strahairn as Jessup. The ensemble also features Elijah Alexander, Danforth Comins, Scott Coopwood, William Thomas Hodgson, Anna Ishida, Sharon Lockwood, Eddie Lopez, Alex Lydon, Tom Nelis, Greta Oglesby, Charles Shaw Robinson, Gerardo Rodriguez, Carolina Sanchez and Mark Kenneth Smaltz.
It Can’t Happen Here is told in four segments and will be available through November 8th. There is no charge to listen to the radio play (though donations are encouraged).
Photo: Original 1936 production of It Can’t Happen Here (Photo courtesy New York Public Library Archives)
