President Johnson plotted Bird," which implies that Kennedy as a power-hungry by its co-producer as "thought programs for the free verse tion and casts Sen. Robert blatt, who refused to run off avenger, John. less" by a printer, Jay Rosen- provoking." Johnsons, the Kennedys and Parody. which lampoons the

ducer of the Adlai Stevenson. body finds something offensive that, "this is one of the best about it. Too much, theater is things about "Showcard" in his plant at 588 dull." in good taste—and is terribly cision was not a business choice,

but a highly personal opinion. Ninth Ave., explained his de-

"Really rocked. They do a

where Macbeth is MacBird and parody on the Macbeth theme, taste. I don't want to be asso- MacBircl is obviously Lyndon Johnson. It's the worst possible

The play was called "taste-

An off-Broadway play, "Mac- Miss Julia Curtis, co-pro-

Rosenblatt, who prints

"I'm shoe ke d," he said.

Work! Journal

By MORT YOUNG

F,

Kennedy's assassina-

was defended today

JFK Death Plot Play Defended

play,

a play,

Tribune Stol

commented

-

if some-

World Journal Tribune, New York, Wednesday, January 11, 1967

,

dated with It. I'm ashamed." of California at Berkeley. Sci In the opening scenes, the

it.' They can attack Johnson's body's got to say—enough, hold Rosenblatt insisted. "But to policies. I couldn't care less," is crazy, lunacy. It's wrong. Somebody has to say it before Paint the man as a conspirator

when it's already done." the play opens, not afterward

pamphlet of satire, written by Print last year as a free verse Mrs. Barbara Gerson when she was a student at the 'University

;There are limits and some=

"MacBird" first appeared In WRITTEN BY STUDENT

Parody Lampoons the Johnsons and Kennedys

across the nation. and far, 20,000 copies have been sold Shakespeare's Macbeth and and Lady MacIlird, parodies of

Lady Macbeth whose overwe- ening ambition lead them to murder Duncan for his crown.

beth's" three witches into an Mrs. Gerson has turned "Mac- elderly liberal, a beatnik and a Black Muslim who intone -- instead of "bubble, bubble "Burn, baby, burn." the Shakespearean version,

The script depicts 'President

Although hewing closely to

Mrs.

,

Johnson as

MacBird

#

,

MacBird then arranges . the beating heart or human blood." murder of Ken O'Duno (Presi- he need fear no man "with Witches !assure MaeBird that dent Kennedy).

iousness of Lady MakBeth. But with all the single-minded vic-

Lady instead' of thejutile washing of a bloody. by the roadakle, flowers, ..Let lined with living 1:1.porns.% ,

heart attack,

Lady :MacBird is portrayed

MacBird finalli2dies

IvlacBird

,

"damned

7

Walls; "Flowers

1ttg44

,

41ant ..these

the land be

.

as Robert play's publicist.

spot,"

:

of a

O'Dunc is about to skewer him. Then Robert O'Dunc reveals "antiseptic brine" to fit them that his father had replaced Mrs. Gerson, and her husband with steel and their blood with his and Ken O'Dtmc's hearts now live in Brooklyn. She Is for "roles of world, authority.", writing a second'play, with the Yale School of Drama, ,which help of a $5,000 grant from the

she won as a

stage the play at the Village reb.'8, said Dorothy Ross, the $30,000 f r Otti 51'2:backers to Gate, 180 Bleecker St. It opens

The

The prodtie:ers have raised

25- year - old authoress,

.. •

,

.

..result of writing