The Iron Heel
The first modern dystopian novel, written as a socialist propaganda piece in 1908. Jack London envisions a world in which the oligarchs form a fascist regime in America, told from the perspective of two young socialist lovers. Antonia Meredith, a historian from a utopia in the far future, provides dubious historical context. A mixture of romance, rhetoric, and revolution, accompanied by the folk music of the IWW Songbook.
Adapted as a three-part audio drama from our earlier stage adaptation. READ MORE ABOUT THE PUBLISHED SCRIPT or THE ORIGINAL UTC61 PRODUCTION.
Episode 1 guest: Erik Loomis
Speaking on the history of labor
Episode 2 guest: Deborah Shaffer
Academy-Award winning filmaker, documentary The Wobblies
Episode 3 guest: Jay Williams
Author of a three volume biography of Jack London
With: Craig Anderson, Kevin Argus, John Bronston, Joshua Wolf Coleman, Ivanna Cullinan, Yael Haksal, Jason Harris, Mike Iveson Jr, Jenny Lee Mitchell, Yvonne Roen, Victoria Rulle, Trav SD and Maxwell Zener
Recorded under a SAG-AFTRA Collective Bargaining Agreement
Sound design and editing: Ian W. Hill
Arrangements and instrumentals: Richard Philbin
Icon designed by Clinton Corbett
The Iron Heel was made possible in part with public funds from Creative Engagement, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by LMCC.
The Iron Heel was also supported in part by The Schapiro Fund, the Puffin Foundation.
Reviews of the stage show
“[The Iron Heel] serves up food for thought with an appealing heart-on-sleeve warmth. You may well find yourself humming some of those tunes on the way out.”
— Elisabeth Vincentelli,
The New York Times
“5 STARS "This well-acted, cleverly executed production is a mind-bending tour de force of ideas, as only Einhorn can deliver, with darkly twisting humor and swaths of realism thrown in to perplex..”
— Carole di Tosti, blogcritics
“The production manages to give the story a deeper emotional impact thanks to the terrific cast...But most of all, the production brings alive the hope and horror of the revolutionaries who fought in the early 20th century in a way that feels relevant and contemporary to a modern audience”