Anna D. Shapiro Restages Eric Bentley Play on HUAC’s Entertainment Industry Probe

Director Anna D. Shapiro has mounted a new production of Eric Bentley’s play. The drama revisits the House Un-American Activities Committee’s 1950s probe of the entertainment sector. The original work, titled “Are You Now or Have You Ever Been,” examines the era’s blacklist tactics. Shapiro’s staging brings the historical inquiry to contemporary audiences. The play portrays the committee’s hearings that targeted actors, writers and producers. It highlights the climate of fear and accusation that defined the period. Critics note the relevance of the themes amid current debates over political speech. The revival aims to spark discussion about past and present censorship.