It Can’t Happen Here

August 14 & 15, 2020

A live-streamed staged reading

Written by Sinclair Lewis

Adapted by Tony Taccone and Bennett S. Cohen

Directed by Mary Landingham Dillon

A cautionary dark satire about the fragility of democracy and the threat of fascism, It Can’t Happen Here follows the ascent of a demagogue who secures the US presidency by promising to return the country to greatness. Witnessing the new president’s tyranny from the sidelines is a liberal, middle-class newspaper editor from Vermont who trusts that the system will fix itself–until he ends up in a prison camp. Sicnlair Lewis’s eerily prescient 1935 novel gets a fresh update in this adaptation that examines what brings a citizenry to the point of sacrificing its own freedom, and how a courageous few can prevail to overcome the fall.

…while Black

September 11, 2020

Original Piece by Asheville Authors

Directed by Stephanie Hickling Beckma

The events of September 11th, 2001 are undoubtedly the greatest acts of terrorism perpetrated by non-Americans against Americans on American soil  …while Black, is a storytelling event about life as an American living in America and subject to ongoing terrorism inflicted by other Americans. …while Black is a curated evening of dramatic readings, poetry, and spoken word, written and performed by people with varying perspectives and firsthand knowledge of what it’s like to be a Black person living, shopping, driving, and thriving in America.

Box office Information and How to Purchase Season Tickets

Box Office Info/Policies 
Conveniently located in the heart of downtown Asheville, the entrance for Diana Wortham Theatre is marked by the location of the theatre’s marquee at 18 Biltmore Avenue between Marble Slab Creamery and White Duck Taco. Patrons enter through the breezeway and into a large interior courtyard with multiple glass doors leading to the theatre’s lower lobby and box office.

• Mondays – Closed
• Tuesdays – Fridays 10:00am to 4:00pm
• Saturdays 12:00pm to 4:00pm
• Closed Sundays unless there is a performance; Box Office will open at 1:00 pm and stay open until 30 minutes after curtain.
• For evening performances, the Box Office opens 1.5 hours prior to curtain.

Tickets may be purchased:

• In person at the box office during regular hours – $3.00 building operations fee per ticket (no processing fee) plus 7% sales tax.
• By phone at 828-257-4530 during regular hours – $4.50 processing fee per order (tickets held at will-call or e-mailed) and a $3.00 building operations fee per ticket.  Tickets can be mailed to the patron for a $1 additional fee.
• By mail to DWT Box Office, 18 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, NC 28801 – $4.50 processing fee per order (tickets held at will-call) and a $3.00 building operations fee per ticket. Tickets can be mailed to the patron for a $1 additional fee.
• On-line, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at www.dwtheatre.com – $3.00 building operations fee per ticket and per ticket processing fees apply.

7% NC sales tax will be applied to all ticket purchases.

For questions and concerns regarding ticket purchases and online ordering, please contact Coco Palmer Dolce, Box Office Manager at 828-257-4530.

Tickets will only be available through the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts Box Office and can be paid by Cash, Check, American Express, MasterCard, Visa or American Express. Phone orders and online sales are by credit card only.

All sales are final. Tickets are non-refundable. Exchanges can be made within the Mainstage Series only or within the same event for a different performance. Returned tickets for donation can be made within the Mainstage Series only. Arrangements for exchanges and returns for donation must be made at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled event/performance.

Build Your Own 3-4 Performance Season Package and Save 10%!

Mix and match at least three performances of your choice for a discounted rate. All shows must be purchased together for discounts to apply. Other discounts do not apply.