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)

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You’re probably thinking to yourself why pay to see the play when it has already been filmed and is readily available on Netflix? There are two reasons to see the show. First and foremost it is an opportunity to see Leguizamo do what he does best in person. He is a brilliant actor and few people come close to entertaining an audience the way he does while still offering them up a healthy dose of reality.

The second reason is the Netflix film excludes fifteen minutes of material you can only see when attending the play. The play runs one hour and fifty minutes with no intermission. Once  Leguizamo gets going, you don’t want to stop and I’m sure he doesn’t either.

Tony Taccone, who directed the world premiere of Latin History for Morons at Berkeley Repertory in 2016, and who directed the Broadway production, directs the tour. Most of the remaining stops on the tour are one day or very brief runs. This booking at the Ahmanson is the longest single stop for the show.

If you don’t know that Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of victory over French troops in 1862, rather than justification for an excessive consumption of tequila at your local bar, Latin History for Morons will have you doubled over in laughter while realizing there’s a lot you just don’t know.

For tickets go here.

Photo by Matthew Murphy/Courtesy of Center Theatre Group.

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