Letter from Florence McDermott

Russo Shines in Lewis Adaptation

Sometimes we see an actor play a role made for him, as is the case of Cooperstown Rotarian Tom Russo in an adaptation of Nobel Prize-winner Sinclair Lewis’ 1935 novel, “It Can’t Happen Here.”
Tom’s charisma and powerful voice were tailor-made for the demagogue Buzz Windrip—a populist politician whose cult-like following echoes Hitler and Mussolini, and the ensuing march to the hell of World War II and the near-destruction of Europe.

The adaptation by Tony Taccone and Bennett S. Cohen is the version of the novel performed at Foothills. Written in 2016, the play depicts a dystopian America following the rise of an inspiring leader whose false promises take a dark turn.

The huge cast moved smoothly through the rise of Windrip, challenged throughout his career by newspaper editor Doremus Jessup, played ably by J. Lentner. Families fracture as Jessup’s son, Philip, allies himself with the new order and tries to warn his idealistic father he’s in danger as an enemy of the state. A talented Sebastian Griffith plays double-duty as Philip and the communist Karl Pascal, who can only view the chaos through the tunnel vision of Karl Marx.

Directed by Gary E. Stevens, the cast made the most of minimal scenery, with computer projections cuing the change of scene. The rise of the dictator never looked more frightening than in Lewis’ vision of America, first created in 1935. At that time, readers saw the Louisiana politician Huey Long as the model for the dictator Windrip. Huey Long appeared on the cover of “Time” magazine in 1935 and was considered to be a potential presidential candidate until he was assassinated later that year.

In Tom Russo’s portrayal of Windrip, we see someone who could easily be elected today with chaos following tomorrow.

Florence McDermott
Cooperstown