Arden Theatre Company, People's Light and Philadelphia Theatre Co. Participate in Nationwide Broadcast Of IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE

On Tuesday, October 13 a radio production of Sinclair Lewis' novel It Can't Happen Here will broadcast at 5PM PDT/8PM EDT via YouTube. Written in 1935 during the rise of fascism in Europe, Lewis' darkly satirical It Can't Happen Here follows the ascent of a demagogue who becomes president of the United States by promising to return the country to greatness.

In 2016 Berkeley Rep unveiled a new stage adaptation of Lewis' prescient novel, one week after that production ended, the presidential election roiled our nation. Now, Berkeley Rep reprises that production with the same director and much of the original cast, but this time as a radio play in four episodes, just in time for the 2020 presidential election. The audio drama is being offered free to organizations across the country. The intent for the project is to encourage dialogue and motivate citizens to exercise their civic power and vote.

Arden Theatre Company, People's Light, and Philadelphia Theatre Company are honored to join theatres across the nation to help spread the word about this production. Berkeley Rep's former Artistic Director Tony Taccone along with screenwriter Bennett S. Cohen return with the original director, two-time Obie Award winner Lisa Peterson. The trio previously collaborated on It Can't Happen Here when it had its premiere at Berkeley Rep in 2016.

Oscar- nominated actor David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck) will join many of the previous cast members to bring this political drama to life. Strathairn has appeared on the People's Light stage three times in The Cherry Orchard (2015), Nathan the Wise (2009), and Sally's Gone, She Left Her Name (1999).

A live Q&A session with the creative team will take place following the broadcast.

The full cast for It Can't Happen Here, in alphabetical order, includes:

· Elijah Alexander (General Edgeways/Bishop Prang/Lee Sarason)

· Danforth Comins (Philip Jessup)

· Scott Coopwood (Shad Ledue)

· William Thomas Hodgson (Dr. Fowler Greenhill)

· Anna Ishida (Mary Jessup Greenhill)

· David Kelly (Buzz Windrip)

· Sharon Lockwood (Emma Jessup/Adelaide Tarr Gimmitch)

· Eddie Lopez (David Greenhill/Mr. Dimick)

· Alex Lydon (Julian Falck)

· Tom Nelis (Buck Titus)

· Greta Oglesby (Lorinda Pike)

· Charles Shaw Robinson (Frank Tasbrough/Effingham Swan)

· Gerardo Rodriguez (Karl Pascal)

· Carolina Sanchez (Sissy Jessup)

· Mark Kenneth Smaltz (R.C. Crowley/John Pollikop)

· David Strathairn (Doremus Jessup)

Citizens, campaigners, soldiers, workers, radio voices, prisoners, and many others all played by members of the company and Sound Designer Paul James Prendergast.

Broadcast Partners as of 10/1/2020

16th Street Theater

ACT-A Contemporary Theatre

Adams State University Theatre

Alley Theatre

American Conservatory Theater

American Stage

Arden Theatre Company

Arena Stage

Aurora Theatre Company

Bag&Baggage Productions

Bishop Arts Theatre Center

Bruka Theatre Of The Sierra

Capital Repertory Theatre

Center Theatre Group

Central Works

Childsplay

Cinnabar Theater

Columbia College Chicago Theatre Department

Contra Costa Civic Theatre

Cornell University Department of Performing and Media Arts

Cottage Theatre

Custom Made Theatre Co.

Edge Effect Theater

Episcopal High School

Everyman Theatre

Festival Playhouse of Kalamazoo College

Foothill Theatre Arts

Goodman Theatre

Guthrie Theater

Hammer Theatre Center at San Jose State University

Howard University Department of Theatre Arts

Huntington Theatre Company

Indiana Repertory Theatre

International City Theatre

Island Shakespeare Festival

Jewel Theatre Company

Juneteenth Theatre Justice Project

Kent State University at Stark

La Jolla Playhouse

Lisbon Public Library

Main Street Theater

Marble Artstown Association

Marin Shakespeare Company

Marin Theatre Company

Merced County Arts Council

Michigan State University Department of Theatre

Minority Voices Theatre

New Conservatory Theatre Center

The New School College of Performing Arts

Northlight Theatre

Notre Dame Film, Television, and Theatre

Oregon Contemporary Theatre

Ozark Living Newspaper Theatre Company

People's Light

Philadelphia Theatre Company

Phoenix Creative Collective

Pittsburgh Public Theater

Project Big Top

Red Earth Theatre

Remote Theater

Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

Rogue Theater Company

Roundabout Theatre Company

Rutgers University-Newark

St. Cloud State University

Santa Clara University

Santa Cruz Actors' Theatre

Seattle Repertory Theatre

Shotgun Players

South Coast Repertory

The State Theatre

Stories on Stage

Syracuse Stage

Texas A&M University-Commerce

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley

Trilogy Theatre Group

University of Oklahoma, Helmerich School of Drama

UC Merced, Global Arts

UC Santa Barbara, Department of Theater and Dance

USC School of Dramatic Arts

Very Little Theatre

The Village Repertory Co.

Water Street Barn

We Players

Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater

Z Space

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