(cont'd)
New York Times theater critic, Live Barnhouse, reviews the play....
"It Can't Happen Again" is certainly one of the more epic tragi-comic productions of our times. The plot offers an in-depth perspective and itinerant warning for our generation. But will we heed the call of history?
The play opens with a resounding "Crash!" The clash of symbols mimics the thundering stampede of bulls from the market. Asset values are halved overnight. Wealthy investors become paupers as the major industrialized countries are thrown into a decade of economic chaos. Throughout the first part of Act I, the characters appear haggard as each looks outwardly to the other for spiritual guidance to restore confidence and economic prosperity. However, internally, there is increasing conflict as protectionist sentiment dominates each character's thinking. This parochialism prevents significant dialogue from restoring international order and economic stability. Toward the end of Act I, the "guiding lights" of spiritual reformation appear in the form of Franklin D. Roosevelt, John Maynard Keynes, and Adolf Hitler. Act I ends on an optimistic note. Even though the economies of Europe are devastated and war-torn, major world leaders agree on the need for cooperation. In 1944, international monetary order is restored by the Bretton Woods Agreement. In 1946, the U.S. Congress passes the Full Employment Act. And, in 1947, the Marshall Plan sets about to reconstruct a demoralized Europe.
In Act II, the action heats up as prosperity returns. The mood is upbeat. Yet, the characters themselves become blase. The fundamental task of "fine-tuning" economic activity in each country becomes routine. Monetary and fiscal policies work miracles. Only in Scene 2 is post-WW II harmony interrupted, when the characters are suddenly awakened from their lethargic states by a new economic specter --- the oil crisis. Dollars are siphoned out of the industrialized countries to pay increased prices for oil imports. The salsa beat emerges from the wings as dollars are rapidly recycled to the developing countries, thus, relieving global recessionary pressures... temporarily. But, the new villain, OPEC, threatened renewed prosperity for the principal characters by exacting a second major oil price increase during Scene 3. The salsa beat quickens. Each character appears serene on the surface, but anxiety lurks beneath the wall of outward calm. During Act II, the suspense mounts. Both inflation and unemployment increase around the world. Fiscal policies fail to achieve their goals. Only a strong dose of monetary restraint in the U.S. can wring a sufficient amount of inflation and inflationary expectations out of the major industrialized economies. Underlying international tensions are dramatized more by the heightened salsa tempo than by the dialogue of the characters. One by one the Latin American countries are thrown deeper into debt and begin to go belly up. On stage, this makes for a rather messy scene. But, no fear. The debris is quickly swept under the (imported) Persian carpet and the stage is reset for sustained long-term non-inflationary growth.
As Act III opens, each character appears poised for a major role in the finale of this drama. However, the plot and its characters fail to meet audience expectations. Just as the play reaches its climax, the action begins to drag. The characters once again appear haggard, but their roles are juxtaposed. The dialogue stalls and becomes muddled. The conclusion is inevitable: Each country, while overtly espousing international cooperation is secretly pursuing parochial, nationalistic policies that belie any cooperative intent. A crisis of confidence in international leadership finally brings down the house of cards. The clash of symbols mimics the thundering stampede of bulls from the market. Asset values are halved overnight. Wealthy investors become paupers as the major industrialized countries are thrown, once again, into a period of economic crisis.
The cast of characters includes some of the best actors from around the world, but their identities are only slow to emerge. Each, in turn, appears as a star in the night. Each gives only the semblance of power. In the end, the roles of the players are juxtaposed: Japan replaces the U.S. as the economic and financial capitol of the world, just as the U.S. had replaced Britain 60 years earlier. But, Japan, like the U.S. 60 years before, lacks the willingness to assume its responsibility as global leader. Alas, all of the characters lack the depth necessary for circumvention of the old adage: "History repeats itself."
On the other hand, the events, the situations, and their punch lines are known for certain. Like Superior Court, where the cases and the decisions are generic, only the names of the litigants have been changed to protect the innocent. One might even go so far as to call the plot trite, were it not for its fatalistic truth: "History repeats itself."
The play owes much to the music of "MBA and the LDCs" and "OPEC". Their spicy overtures of Latin and middle-Eastern music sprinkled throughout add drama, especially at times when the characters and their portrayals are weak. The inclusion of old favorites like "Smile" and "Happy Days Are Here Again" force the audience into nostalgic reverence for the "good old days" and set the tone for memory lapse during Act II. Finally, their orchestral renditions of several Gershwin classics are enhanced by increased use of the percussion section, a move of which George would have whole-heartedly approved. The only offensive strains are from Stravinski and Paderewski at the opening of Act III. Prophetically, at this point, these disharmonic passages presage the forbidden climax.
In all, "It Can't Happen Again" serves as a deadly reminder of George Santayana's much-quoted epigram: "Those who fail to understand history are doomed to repeat it."
