Are You Now or Have You Ever Been? at Theatre Lawrence

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2. Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?

The subject of this riveting and unusual drama is the infamous House Un-American Activities Committee hearings in the 1950s, in which figures from the world of show business were subpoenaed to testify as to their loyalty as Americans and asked to name any and all communists or suspected communists in their industry. This speculative drama about the clash between art and politics celebrates the legacy of Langston Hughes and his literary activism in the face of oppressive power. Set in the poets Harlem apartment on the night before his 1953 appearance before the House Un-American Activities Committee, the play weaves together musings, impassioned diatribes and Langston Hughes poetry.