Have You Now or Ever Been.

Are You Now or Have You Ever Been" is playing at the City Center. Eric Bentley, an English writer wrote this in 1972 and it is directed by Anna D. Shapiro. The play has a rotating cast with Andrew McCarty having the biggest role last night playing Larry Parks.

The plot is based on the 1950's UN - American Committee with the "Hollywood10" under fire. Many of the actors try to wiggle through the committee by fencing with the committee. The various answers are never sincere for the most part. They tell the committee that they no little, or they take the 5th.

The show is running for 15 weeks. I thought the hour and forty five minutes went fast. The action, the staging (Andrew Boyce), the lighting (Donald Holder) were terrific. The projection was the most innovative works of the evening. Brittany Bland fires the historic facts at us all evening keeping us abreast of the time period. Shapiro too keeps the action moving as both sides get contentious at times.

When Eric Bentley first wrote this, he had it as a docudrama. Today, it maybe more relevant than it was in the 50's. This time, more with China than Russia, we debate what communism is and what it can do to the American way of life. When the "Hollywood 10" was questioned, we had actor like Bogart, writers like Arthur Miller who were at the peak of their careers. These people could influence the American people just by their endorsements. Lillian Hellman, Jerrome Robbins were as big of names and were called to Washington to answer the charges of being Communists.

The writing here, and the direction do twofold: the actors did not want to give up their friends, the direction brings out what the actors went through to dance around giving answers. Caught in a quandary of losing their jobs, or losing their friends, the people called before the committee were in a no win situation. While the writings on this subject have always favored their own, there is no mistake that these actors were either communists, or communist supporters. At a time when Hollywood was more conservative than it certainly is today, people were fired for being left leaning. Today, Hollywood by majority is very left leaning.

At a time when Hollywood was more conservative than it certainly is today, people were fired for being left leaning. Today, Hollywood by majority is very left leaning, and has been for quite sometime; when movies, or plays are made today, it usually supports the people who were called in front of the committee.In "Are You Now", it fairly gives both sides but still favoring the actors though.

This period of time was contentious, it is probably the reason that it has been written about quite a lot. It brings great debate even today amongst Americans. Did congress have the right to investigate? Did Americans want communists in our mist, especially in Hollywood, the place where movies are made, the place that controls a lot of the ways that Americans think? This play drew a lot of that out in the hour forty five minutes.

Commentary.............................................................

The play is not overtly pro actor/anti American, however, a lot of tools in the audience applauded at the actors and their lefty leanings. This was true especially with the negro actor Roscoe. The colored boy was anti American, talked about slavery in the US, the oppression of blacks in America. He had a degree in law from the best schools in America and yet he hated America.

I thought Have you now or Ever Been was good. It was quick, consistent. The acting too made it worth while.

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