Global Works’ stage reading of “It Can’t Happen Here” by Sinclair Lewis
Global Works presents a stage reading of the classic 1936 anti-fascist play
It Can’t Happen Here
A coproduction with Hugo House / FOLIO: The Seattle Athenaeum
Dramatized by Sinclair Lewis & J.C. Moffitt
Adapted by Noel Koran
January 28 & 29 at 7pm HUGO HOUSE | 1634 11th Ave, Seattle 98122
Join us for this urgent theatrical event.
Experience the play that asks the most uncomfortable question in American politics: What happens when the unthinkable becomes reality?
Could it happen here?
Witness the chillingly prescient tour de force that feels less like a period piece and more like today’s headlines. Originally written by Nobel Prize-winner Sinclair Lewis during the height of the Great Depression, It Can’t Happen Here is a satirical, alarming look at the fragility of American democracy that has become an eerily timeless warning for the modern age.
The Story
The play follows the meteoric rise of Berzelius “Buzz” Windrip, a populist politician who promises to restore the country’s greatness and save the nation. Upon his election, Windrip transforms into the country’s first outright dictator, mirroring the authoritarian tactics of the 1930’s most infamous regimes.
At the heart of the struggle is Doremus Jessup, a small-town newspaper editor who becomes the regime’s most ardent critic—risking everything to speak truth to power in a country that thought it was immune to tyranny.
Why It Matters Now
· Shockingly Prescient: The dark satire explores how easily fear can be weaponized against freedom.
· A Modern Mirror: Critics have long noted the parallels between Windrip’s rhetoric and contemporary authoritarian movements, proving that the threat Lewis envisioned is never truly in the past.
· Vital Drama: The story is a gripping, high-stakes reminder that liberty requires constant vigilance.
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Secure your tickets now before these limited stage readings sell out.
Experience the 1936 master work that predicted the political crossroads of 2026.
The House bar will be open to serve alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.