It Can't Happen Here

A play by JOHN C. MOFFITT and SINCLAIR LEWIS. From the novel by SINCLAIR LEWIS

The work chronicles the rise of a demagogue who is elected President of the United States after fomenting fear and promising sweeping economic and social reforms while promoting a return to patriotism and “traditional” values.

9 prestigious New York City-based theatre companies unite to present a virtual play-reading of the 1936 classic

Featuring more than 60 actors
in an unprecedented collaboration in
Yiddish, English, Spanish, Italian, Turkish and Hebrew

Directed by Iris Bahr. Featuring: Ronit Asheri, Iris Bahr, Gili Getz, Yoni Vendriger. Translation: Yoni Vendriger

Israeli Artists Project is a NYC based organization that promotes and presents Israeli theater, music and art.

Directed by Laura Caparrotti Featuring: Mariluna Beacy, Laura Caparrotti, Emanuele Capoano, Alice Lussiana Parente, Mario Merone, Caterina Nonis, Giacomo Rocchini, Irene Turri, Giorgia Valenti, Massimo Zordan.  Translation: Laura Caparrotti

Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò at New York University was founded in 1990 by Baroness Mariuccia Zerilli-Marimò with the goal of promoting Italian culture by offering a program of free events, open to everyone, on all topics related to Italian studies, including language, literature, cinema, music, theater, visual art, as well as politics, economics, and lifestyle. Casa’s mission is to create a physical and virtual space for dialogue between Italy and the United States on all of these themes.

KIT-KAIROS ITALY THEATER is internationally recognized as the Italian Theater Company in NY. KIT’s mission is to spread Italian Culture and to create an Italian/International Culture Network in the United States (and abroad). KIT produces plays, events, lectures, and workshops. KIT is the co-creator of In Scena! Italian Theater Festival NY, that takes place in all 5 New York City Boroughs and of OnStage! the first American Theater Festival in Italy. KIT is the Theater Company in residence at Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo’ at NYU.
NYTF

Directed by Motl Didner. Featuring:

Rachel Botchan, Spencer Chandler, Motl Didner, Michael Einav, Kirk Geritano, Eileen F. Haggerty, Elmore James, Richard Kass, Stephanie Lynne Mason, Zalmen Mlotek, Raquel Nobile, Tony Perry, Grant Richards, Lauren Schaffel, Steven Skybell, Suzanne Toren, Tatiana Wechsler, Hy Wolfe. Translation: Binyumin Resler and Benson Inge

Now entering its 106th season, Tony Award-nominated and Drama Desk Award-winning National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene (NYTF) is the longest consecutively producing theatre in the U.S. and the world’s oldest continuously operating Yiddish theatre company. 

Directed by Stephen Burdman. Featuring: Tristan Biber, L. Peter Calendar, Kristen Calgaro, Stephen D’Ambrose, Nehassaiu deGannes, Will Dixon, Barbara Kingsley, Jillian Lindig, John Michalski, Evan Moore-Call, Kevin Orton, David Shih. Stage Manager: Yetti Steinman

New York Classical Theatre’s mission is to create and reinvigorate audiences by presenting free performances in open public spaces. Since 2000, we have produced over 40 interpretations, translations, and adaptations of timeless masterpieces for more than 250,000 people. By producing at no direct cost to our audiences, we engage neighbors from all walks of life. We activate beautiful, accessible places including: Central Park at West 103rd Street, Castle Clinton National Monument, Carl Schurz Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, and the Tata Innovation Center on Roosevelt Island. NY Classical offers audiences the opportunity to enjoy professional classical theatre together as a community.

Directed by Carlton Taylor. Featuring: Peter Coleman, Robin Galloway, Aaron Greenberg, Jesse Kramer, Jake Robertson

New Heritage Theatre Group (NHTG) is celebrating its 56th anniversary and is the oldest Black nonprofit theater company in New York (est . 1964). NHTG’s original mission was to present entertaining, informative, educational and first class productions at affordable prices and preserve and institutionalize classic works by established and emerging black playwrights, authors, and artists of color. Our mission has expanded from local to global, placing an additional emphasis on international issues that impact on people of color. In 1997, playwright/director Jamal Joseph joined as Executive Artistic Director. In the same year Rivers, Joseph, Joyce Joseph, and Alice Arlen, created a NHTG youth division IMPACT Repertory Theatre a creative development leadership training program for young people that encourages members to create and marry activism with their artistic works. It combines a performing arts program, with training in the creative arts (spoken word, musical theater, dance, poetry, and song-writing) and youth leadership development, through the concept of “art-ivism” — using art and activism to change the world. In 2008 IMPACT Repertory Theatre was nominated for an Academy Award and Grammy Award for best original song in the film August Rush

Directed by Chongren Fan. Featuring: Dinh James Doan, Eric Elizaga, David Huynh, Juni Li, Shigeko Sara Suga, Viet Vo

Pan Asian Repertory Theatre is the most veteran pioneer, award-winning Asian American theatre company on the East Coast. Founded by Tisa Chang & core artists in 1977 with the vision that Asian American artists can equally contribute to the excellence of American Theater with stories seldom told to promote social justice & access. Our live theatre will return with CAMBODIA AGONISTES in 2021.

Directed/Stage Managed by Bree O’Connor. Featuring: Nicole Amaral, Tori Barron, Jeorge Bennett Watson, Marie Donna Davis, Brandon Fox, Cristina Garcia Leon, Dan Kellmer, Kim Rios Lin, Dan Renkin, Lauren Lindsey White

Playful Substance is a New York based theater company dedicated to fostering new works through our Writers Groups, developmental workshops, community events and fully staged productions. We believe that lifelong artist development, work-life balance, and the vitality of an inclusive creative space are integral to the artist’s practice. “Playful Substance” is the mission; substantive work approached with joy, cooperation, sensitivity and humor. We all deserve to be seen. We also have the responsibility to see.

Directed by Leyma López, Translated by Rafael Sánchez, Recorded and edited by Tané Martínez. Featuring: Zulema Clares, Erick González, Gerardo Gudiño, German Jaramillo, Luis Carlos de la Lombana, Gonzalo Trigueros. Translation: Rafael Sánchez

Founded in 1968 by stage director René Buch and the late producer Gilberto Zaldívar, and joined by Robert Weber Federico in 1971, who now serves as Executive Producer, REPERTORIO has presented an unparalleled body of theater that promotes and divulges the rich heritage of Hispanic theater. Spanish masters like Calderón, Lope de Vega and García Lorca, renowned playwrights from Latin America and the growing body of American writers who capture the Latino experience in the U.S.—from NYC to Portland, LA, NYC, Washington DC, Texas, Denver and Chicago– are all at home in REPERTORIO’s programming. Also, the company has presented acclaimed translations of plays by Edward Albee, Shakespeare, Tennessee Williams, Gian Carlo Menotti, Eduardo De Filippo and Noel Coward.

The Company presents a rotating repertory of 13 different plays, musicals and dance concerts with over 300 performances every year. Its productions are seen by over 50,000 people annually at its home, the historic Gramercy Arts Theatre and on tour. Every year, approximately 20,000 students are introduced to the heritage of Spanish language theatre through its education program, ¡DIGNIDAD!

Directed by Ayse Eldek Richardson. Featuring: Ayse Eldek Richardson, Ezgi Erdoğan Cohen, Defne Halman, Feryal Kilisli, Emre Yilmaz. Translation: Ayse Eldek Richardson

Turkish American Repertory Theater & Entertainment –TARTE– is a unique performance institution established by Ayse Eldek-Richardson in May of 2010. The productions explore aspects of Turkish identity that may be unfamiliar or unknown to many in the United States. Turkish culture developed over many centuries and each work we produce has its own related signature and design reflecting a past or current aspect of that cultural development. We hope to broaden the perception of what Turkish culture is.
While the company’s primary emphasis is on performing Turkish classics and original works by Turkish and American writers, plays and musical submissions with Turkish or Middle-Eastern themes are considered from American and international writers as well so as to present a repertoire of quality works to a wide range of Western audiences.
Turkish American Repertory Theater & Entertainment works on producing original plays, cabarets, and musicals by TARTE’s honorary writers and multi ethnic writers group. TARTE also organizes educational workshops called “Drama Club” aimed at younger members every year.

We wish to express our gratitude to the Performers’ Unions:
ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION
AMERICAN GUILD OF MUSICAL ARTISTS
AMERICAN GUILD OF VARIETY ARTISTS
SAG-AFTRA
through Theatre Authority, Inc. for their cooperation in permitting the Artists to appear on this program.

Oct 28, 2020 at 1PM

Available on-demand until Nov. 1 at 1 PMET

Please note that It Can’t Happen Here is no longer available for viewing, due to our agreements with the performing arts unions.

Please take a moment and enjoy the more than 40 hours of programming available on demand here at Folksbiene!Live, and we hope you will consider a donation to ensure that we can continue to produce works that celebrate and preserve Yiddish culture for generations to come.

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"Our stories are kept alive thanks to the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene – Join me in keeping our stories alive."
–Joel Grey