American Prophet
David Haddad’s “The Scope of William Jennings Bryan” Shows How This Overlooked American Statesman Predicted the Catastrophic Rise of Trump 100 Years Ago.
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, March 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — William Jennings Bryan was the greatest orator of the 20th century, and three-time presidential candidate. Yet his message to America—his formula for forging a truly democratic path forward—could not be heard through the solid gold walls of Wall Street.
This remarkable play takes readers and theater goers back to 1925 to hear “The Great Commoner,” explain his opposition to American imperialism, to the Wall Street oligarchs, to Plutocracy, to Colonialism, to corporate media. As the play makes clear, Trump’s ascension to the Presidency is the culmination of a political process more than a century in the making.
The play truly gives the audience and the reader a sense of “being there.” The play calls for actors to be seated in the “crowd.” Supporters and hecklers who both challenge and cheer WJB as he speaks.
Further, the powerful rhetoric of WJB is visually enhanced by images projected behind the speaker. When WJB is railing against oligarchs, or recalling American entry into WWI, or explaining the Lost Generation of the 1920s, appropriate images are projected on to a large screen behind the stage.
The setting of the play is Winchester, Tennessee—just a short distance from Dayton, the site of the Scopes “Monkey” trial which ended four days earlier. WJB traveled to Winchester to thank his supporters. Before offering his sadly accurate prophetic vision of an autocratic America, WJB begins his speech by explaining his opposition to “Darwinism.” We hear first-hand why WJB opposed the way evolution was being taught in public schools. We learn that in fact, WJB did not oppose teaching evolution at all! —up to a point.
“The Scope of William Jennings Bryan” has been produced at The Chain Theatre in NYC. It was also produced twice at Teatro Santa Ana in San Miguel de Allende where the author currently resides. It was the suggestion of attendees at both events that the play be published to reach a wider audience.
David Haddad is an award-winning playwright whose work does not shy away from controversy. His satirical anti-war play “Yahweh the Floorwalker” was awarded second place in the 2024 New York ITC International Script Competition and was also selected for production at the Pittsburgh New Works Festival held at Duquesne University. “Yahweh the Floorwalker” will soon be available on Amazon.
The Scope of William Jennings Bryan (ISBN: 1971002844 / 9781971002842) can be purchased through retailers worldwide, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The paperback retails for $19.99, and the e-book retails for $8.99.
Purchase the book on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Scope-William-Jennings-Bryan-ebook/dp/B0GK4JQ914
About the Author
David Haddad is the author of several full-length plays. His first play, “The Elder,” is a critique of Christian fundamentalism based on “Antigone.” His satire, “Yahweh the Floorwalker,” won Second Prize in the 2024 New York International ITC Theater Script Competition. “Somebody Named Shaw” is a metaphor for the dubious Zionist claim to Palestine. “Donipus Rex” is a comedy mocking Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 epidemic. David is a graduate of Michigan State University. He lives in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
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