Life, Liberty And The Pursuit Of happiness

A rotating, all-star ensemble cast brings Eric Bentley's epic docudrama back to the stage! Using original House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) transcripts to stage real testimonies from the 1940s and 1950s hearings, Are You Now or Have You Ever Been presents the harrowing moral and career choices faced by legendary artists like Arthur Miller and Elia Kazan.

What's The Story?

In the high-stakes HUAC hearings, celebrity status offers no protection against career-ending political pressure. Using the exact words of acclaimed artists, the show captures the agonising dilemmas they faced as they chose between maintaining personal integrity, safeguarding their livelihoods, or betraying their colleagues.

Ultimately, the committee's intimidating interrogation tactics prove just as powerful as the witnesses' responses, exposing an atmosphere of fear and ethical conflict that still resonates today.