A staged reading of an adaptation of the Sinclair Lewis book, “It Can’t Happen Here” is performed Sept. 13, at 6 p.m., at Abingdon High School’s main auditorium, located at 705 Thompson Drive in Abingdon, Virginia. The reading, which features several acclaimed local actors, is being sponsored by Take Action Southwest Virginia
The play’s plot centers on a journalist’s opposition to the new regime and his subsequent struggle against it as part of a rebellion. The cast, among others, includes Eugene Wolf, Nick Koesters, Quinn Hawkesworth and Donnamarie Emmert, and is directed by Michael Gerber. “There is something very energizing and powerful that happens when you combine the collaborative art of the theater with the desire for societal or political change,” says Gerber.
“These are passionate activists as well as theater artists. And when you give them a piece that is, page for page, scene by scene, art mimicking our very real and immediate circumstances, it becomes a reminder of just how vital art and community are. The cast is my reminder of the power and impact we can all have in our communities if we continue to work and create together. It’s been a beautiful, humbling and revitalizing experience for me, and I hope it will be for our audience, as well.”
“Theater is the best way to unite people around a single story,” says Wolf. “Compassion arises when an audience experiences it at the same time. Their hearts beat as one. There is no chance for diversion of social media and memes that have an agenda. They can make up their own minds about the events they’ve just experienced together. As an actor, this is the tool I have to create community from chaos.”
“Take Action Southwest Virginia is a local grassroots organization working to preserve a constitutional republic rooted in the democratic process,” says Dan Manweiler, a member of the organizing committee. “Our goal with this project is to raise awareness and give audience members an opportunity to participate and be part of the resistance by going to the theater.”
The play follows an American politician, Berzelius “Buzz” Windrip, who quickly rises to power to become the country’s first outright dictator, and Doremus Jessup, a newspaper editor who sees Windrip’s fascist policies for what they are ahead of time, and who becomes Windrip’s most ardent critic. Several play adaptations of the novel have been written and performed in cities all over the U.S. The Sept. 13 presentation was written by Tony Taccone and Bennett S. Cohen.
The 6 p.m. show includes two acts with an intermission. Considering its context, the play is suggested for mature audiences only. Tickets ($20) may be obtained in advance by going to www.takeaction-swva.org/tickets.
For more information about Take Action Southwest Virginia, visit their website at www.takeaction-swva.org, or their Facebook and Instagram pages.
