It Can't Happen Here: A Stage Reading

Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum and Global Works present a stage reading of the classic 1936 dystopian political play It Can't Happen Here, dramatized by Sinclair Lewis and J.C. Moffitt and adapted by Noel Koran, from Sinclair Lewis's 1935 dystopian political novel of the same name.

This production focuses on the visceral power of the script, featuring a cast of local actors who portray the struggle of navigating a fraying democratic landscape through scenes that highlight the intense moral dilemmas faced as their society shifts. By stripping the performance down to a staged reading, the production emphasizes the urgency of Lewis’s dialogue and the chillingly prophetic nature of his exploration into media influence and political volatility. The result is a raw, high-stakes environment where the actors' voices drive the narrative, followed by a brief conversation with the audience to bridge the gap between the 1930s setting and the modern day.

Global Works exists to…