On Saturday, September 9, Guild Hall in East Hampton is presenting a star-studded concert reading of Eric Bentley’s Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?
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Matthew Broderick. (Photo: Krista Kennell/PMC) |
Directed by Harris Yulin, the cast will feature James Earl Jones, Matthew Broderick, Paul Hecht, Richard Kind, Peter Riegert, Mercedes Ruehl, Barry Scheck, Harris Yulin with Rob Anthony, Ebon Moss Bachrach, Dan Becker, J. Stephen Brantley, Andrew Botsford, Matthew Conlon, Peter Connolly, Rob DiSario, Gerard Doyle, Andrew Feuerstein, Josh Gladstone, Ed Kassar, Isaac Klein, Paul McIsaac, Joe Pallister, Max Samuels, Christian Scheider, Sawyer Spielberg, Eric Svendsen and more.
The compelling drama revolves around the infamous 1950s House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). “We are thrilled to present this extraordinary cast in reading Eric Bentley’s monumental script composed of actual testimonies taken during the hearings,” shared Barbara-Jo Howard, Director of Marketing & Communications at Guild Hall. “It promises to be a very special evening of theater.”
Comprised of U.S. House of Representatives, HUAC looked into allegations of communist activity in the U.S. during the early years of the Cold War (1945-91), subpoenaing notable names from the entertainment world to testify about their loyalty as Americans. Those subpoenaed were also asked to divulge information about anyone who was, or suspected of being, a communist. The production features actual testimony by Lionel Stander, Abe Burrows, Lillian Hellman, Larry Parks, Elia Kazan, Jerome Robbins, and Jose Ferrer.
Are You Now or Have You Ever Been? has been lauded as “A rollercoaster of conscience. Superbly done” by the New York Post and “A shattering experience” by the New York Daily News.
Tickets begin at $30 and $28 for Members and the play begins at 8 p.m.
Guild Hall is located at 158 Main Street in East Hampton. For more information, call 631-324-4050 or visit www.guildhall.org.
