A Fund Raiser for Good

 

We’re building an alliance of like-minded arts and cultural organizations to prepare for our shared future.   And we need your help.

 

The idea is simple:  We’re holding a fund-raiser for several non-profits that serve our communities in need.  People challenged by circumstances that contribute to the fabric of our society.

 

The method is unique:  A one-night reading of a play that speaks to our time through the lens of history.  It Can’t Happen Here.  Originally written in 1936 by acclaimed author Sinclair Lewis, this story reflects and looks clearly at today’s world without pointing fingers.

 

The timing:  We’re reading this play on April 17th (you pick your date) in celebration of Patriots Day (which falls on April 20 this year) to commemorate this significant date in American history.  The first shots in the American Revolution that were heard round the world.   It’s time to re-claim the name of Patriot.    

 

Who’s with us?:  Our alliances are strong and they continue to grow daily.   A few examples of our affiliates:  Shakespeare & Company, Great Barrington Public Theater, random.acts,  big table productions.  All of the artists involved are donating their time, space, talents and passion to this project.  

 

And this is only the beginning – like the first shots fired in America’s founding, we are providing a model for a series of readings across America.  A wave of resistance to prepare for the mid-terms and beyond!

 

The funds raised will target one or more of these worthy institutions:

 

(Pick your favorite local non profit/s)

 

People need to hear this play.  To remind us who we really are. Patriots.  In the proper sense of that word.  It shows us clearly what’s already happened and what could be ahead if we don’t act now.  And, it shows us how we can respond before things get worse.

 

Stories change the world.  It’s how we make sense of our lives.  We’ve been telling stories since the beginning of time.  A group gathered to hear a tale in one room is a magic-filled experience.  If you’ve been, you know.  If you haven’t, join us, you’ll see!  This is a story you won’t want to miss!

 

The Backstory:

 

It Can’t Happen Here is a piece of American history.  A coordinated resistance that has already changed our country once.  So let’s do it again.

 

In 1936, with facism on the march in Europe (and here at home) a theatrical adaptation of Sinclair Lewis’ novel premiered on October 27th in 18 cities. This simple protest affected the very fabric of our society for generations to come. 

 

This 2016 adaptation by Tony Taccone and Bennett Cohen tells the story of a Vermont newspaper editor caught in the whirlwind election of a larger-than-life Presidential candidate, Buzz Windrip.  Brash, bold, charming and funny, Buzz takes the White House and then the country by storm.  Soon, Minute Men are deployed throughout the nation to enforce order.  Lockdowns commence.  Martial law is declared. Schools are shut down and Concentration Camps spring up in their stead.  And then, the citizens begin to organize…to respond.  To stand up and say It Can’t Happen Here.

 

Sound familiar?

 

In response to the play's anti-fascist message and nationwide impact, The Dies Committee was created. It shut down the Federal Theatre Project and then went on to serve as the model for Joseph McCarthy’s House on Un-American Activities Committee hearings.

 

It’s time to hear this play again.  Before things get worse.

 

 A Fund Raiser for Good.  One strong message of resistance and hope for the future.  

It Can’t Happen Here…but only if we speak up.