Eric Bentley’s 1972 docudrama, “Are You Now or Have You Ever Been,” is currently enjoying a revival off-Broadway, directed by Anna D. Shapiro. The play meticulously reconstructs verbatim transcripts from the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) hearings held between 1947 and 1956, focusing on the Hollywood blacklist era during the second Red Scare.
The play captures the intense interrogations faced by artists, writers, and actors who were questioned about their affiliations with the Communist Party. Key moments include the now-famous $64,000 question: “Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Communist Party?” The production effectively uses real dialogue to explore the moral conflicts, public shaming, and career devastation experienced by individuals who either refused to testify or named names to save their careers.
Notable performances include Billy Eugene Jones as Paul Robeson, whose powerful testimony challenges the committee, and Andrew McCarthy as Larry Parks, an actor whose initial composure gives way to a heartbreaking admission of Party meetings. The cast also features Michael McKean, Brooks Ashmanskas, Steven Boyer, Frederick Weller, Adam Kantor, and Jason Babinsky, with a rotating roster of guest stars including Bob Odenkirk and Molly Ringwald. The play highlights themes of censorship, groupthink, and political pressure, resonating strongly with contemporary concerns about free expression and government overreach.
