(268)
All The Way
Robert Schenkkan
The Great Society
by Robert Schenkkan
Broadway
Highlights
120 mins 1960s Strong Role for Leading Man (Star Vehicle) Unit Set/Multiple Settings Period Costumes
Synopsis
The minute you gain power, you start to lose it.
In his second term of office, LBJ struggles to fight a war on poverty as the war in Vietnam spins out of control.
Besieged by opponents, Johnson marshals all his political wiles to try to pass some of the most important social programs in U.S. history.
The Great Society depicts the larger-than-life politician’s tragic fall from grace, as his accomplishments – the passage of hundreds of bills to enact reform in civil and voting rights, poverty, and education – are overshadowed by the bitter failure of the Vietnam War.
Robert Schenkkan’s characteristic historical accuracy and thrilling dialogue combine to create a work that brings to life the defining political struggles of the 60s.
The Great Society is complemented by its companion piece, the Tony Award-winning All The Way , which depicts LBJ’s first term in office.
Press Reviews
"As The Great Society churns through the four years of Johnson’s troubled full term as president, Mr. Schenkkan doesn’t need to draw any diagrams to make us feel how relevant the issues it explores remain… It’s impressive in its scope, surprisingly energetic and shines a bright, clear light on a pivotal moment in American history."
— New York Times
"Schenkkan’s propulsive intertwining of historical cause and effect is masterly, implicit parallels are drawn between the wars in Vietnam and Iraq, the polarity in Congress then and now, the state of civil rights in the 60s and today. And it’s hard not to leave the theater asking... what progress have we really made? Few recent American dramas bite off as much as Schenkkan’s LBJ plays do or make you think as hard. And few are as enlightening and disturbing."
— The Seattle Times
"Rich, complex and dramatic… An insightful look at history and the morality of power."
— The Daily Courier (OR)
Characters
| Character |
|---|
| PRESIDENT LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON |
| VICE PRESIDENT HUBERT HUMPHREY |
| SEN. EVERETT DIRKSEN (GOP) Senate Minority Leader |
| SALLY CHILDRESS Secretary to LBJ |
| SEN. BOBBY KENNEDY |
| REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., SCLC president |
| REP. ADAM CLAYTON POWELL, JR., (D) |
| J. EDGAR HOOVER FBI director |
| CARTHA “DEKE” DeLOACH FBI deputy director |
| ROBERT McNAMARA Secretary of Defense |
| BOB MOSES Founder and head of SNCC |
| STOKELY CARMICHAEL SNCC organizer |
| RALPH ABERNATHY MLK’s close friend, SCLC |
| SHERIFF JIM CLARK Sheriff of Dallas County, Alabama |
| REV. JAMES DOBYNES Minister in Marion, Alabama |
| JIMMIE LEE JACKSON Church deacon in Marion, Alabama |
| CORETTA SCOTT KING Wife of MLK |
| GENERAL WILLIAM WESTMORELAND Head of American forces in Vietnam |
| PRESIDENT APPEL American Medical Association |
| LADY BIRD JOHNSON First Lady |
| SHERIFF’S AUXILIARY White woman volunteer for Sheriff Clark |
| HOSEA WILLIAMS SNCC organizer |
| JAMES BEVEL SCLC organizer |
| JOHN LEWIS SNCC organizer |
| STANLEY LEVISON SCLC organizer |
+ 15 more characters
Videos
The Great Society – Oregon Shakespeare Festival Trailer
Publication
The Great Society is a play written by Robert Schenkkan and published by Dramatists Play Service .
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Performance Rights
Available for Licensing
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