Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} The Great Society by Robert Schenkkan The Great Society. Playwright Robert Schenkkan returns to the Great White Way with this second play, celebrating LBJ's presidential legacy. This new work accompanies Schenkkan’s Tony Award-winning , which saw win his first Tony for "Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play" back in 2014 for his performance as the 1960s American president. All The Way played the from February 10 through June 29, 2014, taking home the Tony Award for “Best Play.” This production actually marks Schenkkan’s third Broadway outing as a playwright. In the fall of 1993, he made his Broadway debut as a writer with , which won the in 1992 and led to his first Tony Award nomination for “Best Play” in 1994. Taking the reins from Bryan Cranston and carrying the LBJ baton into The Great Society , Brian Cox is also no stranger to the Great White Way, of course. Having made his Broadway debut back in February 1985 in Eugene O’Neill’s Strange Interlude , he has gone on to make waves in the theatre with his performances in Yasmina Reza’s Art in 1998, Tom Stoppard’s Rock ‘n’ Roll in 2007, and Jason Miller’s That Championship Season in 2011. A native of Dundee, Scotland, he also boasts a formidable résumé, when it comes to the UK stage. A two-time Olivier Award winner in his own right, he has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, alongside other esteemed establishments around the UK. He is one of the true veterans of the theatre with an intimidating stage presence more than capable of living up to the powerful figure of LBJ. The Great Society depicts a crucial era in American history – including the rise of the Civil Rights Movement and the atrocities committed in Vietnam – and promises great writing, great acting and great drama. (Photos by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade) This show has now closed. See our list of theatre tickets for shows currently on sale. Review: ‘The Great Society’ a bustle of history lacking full LBJ picture. When last seen in Robert Schenkkan’s “All the Way,” Lyndon B. Johnson was being serenaded with “Happy Days Are Here Again.” After brokering the passage of the with an iron fist and a good ol’ boy smile, he managed to escape electoral backlash and trounce Barry Goldwater in the presidential election. “The Great Society,” the second part of Schenkkan’s epic drama about Johnson’s presidency, picks up where “All the Way” left off. The crowd is still chanting, “All the way with LBJ,” but Johnson, that experienced political animal, wears a furrowed brow. He knows that no matter how sweet victory may be, in politics there’s something even sweeter but much more elusive: survival with one’s principles intact. The play, which is having its world premiere at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, where “All the Way” began, also under the direction of OSF artistic director Bill Rauch, is the conclusion of a project that on paper might seem to be exclusively for American history buffs and political junkies. A two-part, 61/2-hour retelling of Johnson’s presidency doesn’t exactly scream box office, but “All the Way” proved doubters wrong by becoming a bona fide Broadway hit and winning the Tony for best play (no matter that it was a depleted field). Jack Willis, who played LBJ in “All the Way” at OSF before Bryan Cranston took the role to the American Repertory Theater and Broadway (winning a Tony for his galvanic portrayal), is once again commanding the desk of the Oval Office in a performance that is less flashy than Cranston’s but commendable in its more contained conviction. Running longer than three hours with two intermissions, the play is shorter than Robert Caro’s multi-volume biography of Johnson, but it strives to give an unusually complete stage picture of the conflicting forces that shaped and warped his time in office. This is both an educational boon and an artistic limitation. There are moments when “The Great Society” can seem like a talking history book as it recaps various civil rights flash points (the Selma-to- Montgomery marches, the Watts riots, the rise of the black power movement) and reviews political battles over Johnson’s progressive domestic programs (the “war on poverty,” Medicare and “aid to education”) and his disastrous escalation of the Vietnam War. (Casualty statistics flash before us on Christopher Acebo’s set, keeping us grimly mindful of the cost of muddled policy.) My interest in the historical material was unflagging, but the contours of the drama need to be more sharply defined for the play’s central insight into Johnson’s character to have a more potent dramatic impact. Schenkkan, hewing to prevailing historical interpretation, understands that the attributes that made Johnson so formidable a politician were the very qualities that marred his presidency. As depicted in “The Great Society,” Johnson’s love of deal-making, his uncanny ability to glad-hand and strong-arm simultaneously, his mastery of press manipulation and his willingness to compromise his conscience for incremental gains make him susceptible to the political sin of expediency, a weakness that becomes more conspicuous as the spiraling Vietnam War jeopardizes the financing of the social programs that give the play its title. But this isn’t a history play in the Shakespearean mode, in which chronicles of kings were transformed into action-packed tales harboring lessons on political behavior and the corruptibility of power. Schenkkan allows history to take precedence over drama, which is to say that “The Great Society” relies too heavily on the factual record for its narrative. The “story” here is compiled from nonfiction sources rather than carved by imagination. There’s no denying the Shakespearean contradictions within Johnson’s larger-than-life character, but his virtues and flaws aren’t the sole determinants of the play’s action. Schenkkan doesn’t subscribe to the Great Man theory of history. The ground beneath Johnson’s feet is ever- shifting, regardless of whether he takes a step or not. He exerts his considerable weight, but the world outweighs him. The play credits Johnson with trying to make a positive difference, tallying his legislative achievements in the face of opposition from the left and the right. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (Kenajuan Bentley) and Robert F. Kennedy (Danforth Comins) grow impatient with Johnson’s delays and double-talk while the Republican senator from Illinois, Everett Dirksen (Michael J. Hume), accuses Johnson of “running for Santa Claus” with his costly social programs. Alabama Gov. George Wallace (Jonathan Haugen) is perpetually plotting new ways of forestalling Johnson’s civil rights agenda. And Vice President Hubert Humphrey (Peter Frechette) watches in horror as Johnson takes the advice of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara (Mark Murphey), who believes the only way to deal with Vietnam is to intensify America’s military involvement. (Little wonder with this cast of characters that the play leaves hardly any room for Terri McMahon’s Lady Bird, who might have drawn out more personal color from her husband. Viewing this chapter of American political history from the vantage of today’s governmental paralysis, Schenkkan may be forgiven for going soft on Johnson. He doesn’t skirt the tragic waste, both economic and human, of the Vietnam War. (Acebo’s set, which continues the witness gallery design scheme of “All the Way,” piles up with debris as the war spirals out of control.) But the playwright’s perspective is too balanced to see Johnson as a tragic figure. Willis is not as adept as Cranston in driving the action through drowsy patches. His Johnson is a milder incarnation, more bark than bite perhaps, but only a fool would test him. He’s neither a political nor a theatrical machine. Battle fatigue and disappointment register in his eyes even as he bluffs and berates at deafening volume. Indeed, Willis’ Johnson remains sympathetic even when blood streams from his presidency. It’s a shame that the play’s bustling agenda leaves hardly any time for the protagonist’s inner reckonings. This is something a drama can uniquely provide. “The Great Society” demonstrates its interpretation of events but gives short shrift to the discoveries of a character and his moments of recognition. Art permits what life denies. “The Great Society” would be a stronger play if Johnson were made to confront himself at the end rather than simply greet his successor, Richard Nixon (Haugen), a figure who gets Johnson off the hook simply by walking onstage. “All the Way,” being more narrowly focused on the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, swept us along with its historical inevitability. (That play is being adapted into an HBO movie, and it will be interesting to see whether the camera will coax Schenkkan into a deeper intimacy with Johnson.) “The Great Society,” being more widespread in its concerns, needs more human textures to keep from seeming abstract. The opening monologue, in which Johnson recalls attending the rodeo as a boy and being captivated by bull riders who knew they were going to be thrown but found joy in holding on for as long as they could, contains some of the play’s most arresting writing. Here, the voice of the character isn’t drowned out by the din of history, and Johnson, by dint of theatrical magic, lives again. Inside the business of entertainment. The Wide Shot brings you news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production — and what it all means for the future. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Times. twitter instagram email facebook. Charles McNulty is the theater critic of the Los Angeles Times. He received his doctorate in dramaturgy and dramatic criticism from the Yale School of Drama. ‘All The Way’ playwright brings sequel ‘The Great Society’ to . WASHINGTON — In 2014, the Lyndon B. Johnson play “All the Way” won Tonys for Best Play (playwright Robert Schenkkan) and Best Actor (Bryan Cranston, who reprised it on HBO). This President’s Day, its sequel, “The Great Society,” arrives at Arena Stage (Feb. 2-March 11). “‘The Great Society’ follows his second term [on] the heels of his historic landslide victory over Barry Goldwater, which gives him control of both houses of Congress, culminating four years later in his shocking announcement that he will not run again for office,” Schenkkan said. While “All the Way” dealt with LBJ’s first term, assuming the presidency after John F. Kennedy’s assassination and passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, “The Great Society” shows his domestic agenda overshadowed by Vietnam, straining his relationship with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “If you think about this in classical theater terms, ‘All the Way’ is a drama and ‘The Great Society’ is a tragedy,” Schenkkan said. “This individual who unarguably does so much good domestically — Medicare, Medicaid, education, clean air, clean water, three historic civil rights bills … just a profound shifting of the society — [but] then, Vietnam. He knew at the time that his foreign policy was going to doom his domestic policy, yet he continued to march forward.” The sequel features the same cast, including Jack Willis as LBJ and Bowman Wright as MLK. “It’s such a great ensemble of actors,” Schenkkan said. “They’re such extraordinarily talented individuals. The challenge is that they’re in demand as a consequence, so you hope you can get them all back, knowing that’s a long reach. In our case, we were extraordinarily fortunate that everybody really wanted to be back. … [Willis] is giving the performance of a lifetime.” Likewise, the play is the culmination of a lifetime of experiences for Schenkkan. Growing up in Austin, Texas, his mother was an actress and his father was a playwright, who actually crossed paths with Lyndon B. Johnson during his early political days as a senator. “My dad was a pioneer in public television/radio hired [by] the University of Texas at Austin to create the first public radio/television station in the Southwest,” he said. “Job No. 1 was to go to then-Senator Johnson and get his permission, because [it] would’ve been in direct conflict with Lady Bird’s media empire. I’m pleased to say he not only gave his permission, but as president, would sign into law the bill that created the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.” Schenkkan remembers loving LBJ as a kid and then criticizing him during the Vietnam War. “My parents were liberal democrats, supportive of integration, and I remember that election, 1964, LBJ/Goldwater, how it just felt Manichean, the forces of light against the forces of dark, and how thrilled we were with his landslide,” Schenkkan said. “Then, just a year and a half later, with troop levels in Vietnam ramping up from 23,000 to 170,000 and my oldest brother facing the draft, I had a very different feeling about LBJ. That’s where I got off the LBJ ship.” His view began to shift again as a father, when he began re-examining LBJ’s domestic legacy. “I became aware of the domestic programs he created, which were extremely helpful to me and people like me, and I thought differently about him again,” Schenkkan said. “So, he’s always been in my head as this really interesting, truly Shakespearean character, not only big physically — 6- foot-4, 250 pounds — but big emotionally, big in his appetites, big in his virtues and vices, a Shakespearean character and someone who, to me, belonged on the stage.” And so, 20 years after winning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama with “The Kentucky Cycle” (1992), Schenkkan was commissioned by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to write “All the Way.” “Jack Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas and Lyndon B. Johnson suddenly becomes president,” he said. “To liberal democrats, he’s a liberal. To southern ‘Dixiecrats,’ he’s a good old boy. But what does he really believe? To everyone’s surprise, it turns out what [he] really believes in is civil rights. … He succeeds, but already, the seeds of the looming crisis have been planted.” Those seeds blossom into Johnson’s tragic downfall portrayed in “The Great Society.” “I would’ve been very disappointed if I had never been able to write ‘Part 2’ of this story,” he said. “Fortunately, as I was writing ‘All the Way,’ I was commissioned by the Seattle Repertory Theatre to write ‘The Great Society.’ When we won the Tony Award, the next day, I and my director, Bill Rouch, were flying back from to Ashland, Oregon, going over our notes for a ‘Great Society’ run-through to be held that week. That’s how tight things were.” While the sequel focuses mostly on LBJ, it also explores an ensemble of other pivotal figures. “There are such amazing people in this story,” Schenkkan said. “King comes out against the Vietnam War, is demonized across the country [and] assassinated in Memphis. Bobby Kennedy, who finds himself after wandering in the political desert, seems in place to take the Democratic nomination, and he, too, is assassinated. On the right, you have the shocking rise of Richard Nixon out of the ashcan of political history and he, of course, is elected twice to president. Then, in the south, George Wallace. It’s an extraordinary collection of individuals.” These aren’t mere ghosts from yesteryear. They are historical lessons that continue today. “History is not something that just exists in the past; it lives through us continuously. We are continuously informed by and moved by [it],” Schenkkan said. “If you’re going to understand where we are today politically, you really need to understand LBJ. There are people who say that we live in the world that LBJ created … and I think there’s actually some truth to that.” Click here for more on “The Great Society.” Listen to our full chat with Robert Schenkkan below: ‘The Great Society’: Theater Review. Brian Cox stars as Lyndon Baines Johnson in 'The Great Society,' the continuation of playwright Robert Schenkkan's sprawling account of the tumultuous 36th U.S. presidency that began with 'All the Way.' David Rooney. Chief Film Critic. Share this article on Facebook Share this article on Twitter Share this article on Email Show additional share options Share this article on Print Share this article on Comment Share this article on Whatsapp Share this article on Linkedin Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinit Share this article on Tumblr. Share this article on Facebook Share this article on Twitter Share this article on Email Show additional share options Share this article on Print Share this article on Comment Share this article on Whatsapp Share this article on Linkedin Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinit Share this article on Tumblr. Nothing represents the sad passage from postwar idealism to a culture of political cynicism and chicanery like a newly elected Richard Nixon smugly informing his White House predecessor, “What America wants, Mr. President, is honest government.” That sour closing note carries echoes from 1968 to the present ethical vacuum a half-century later, when Washington, D.C., is now swampier than ever. Playwright Robert Schenkkan picks up where he left off in All the Way to chronicle Lyndon Baines Johnson’s embattled presidency. If The Great Society often feels as much like history homework as drama, it thrums along on the engine of Brian Cox’s unimpeachably magnetic performance as LBJ. Those of us addicted to HBO’s juicy account of a Murdoch-like media dynasty, Succession , have thrilled to Cox’s ferocious work on that series as a paterfamilias who wields both love and cruelty as different settings of the same human weapon designed to reinforce his power. As the 36th U.S. president, Cox traces the tragic arc of a growling, bulldog-like man tenaciously grabbing hold of his dream of making a difference only to have it dissolve in his hands, as much due to his own blinkered decisions as to the fragmentation of his party and the cunning of his adversaries. The actor’s balance of folksiness with gruff authority makes his characterization to some degree a natural extension of Bryan Cranston’s Tony- winning work in All the Way . But the aggressive optimism that defined the character in the earlier installment steadily recedes as setbacks pile up to erode LBJ’s assurance, giving Cox’s turn a more poignant bite. That’s especially apparent in a scene near the conclusion, in which Johnson is alone late at night with his doting wife, Lady Bird (Barbara Garrick). Shaken and sorrowful, he confesses how the accumulation of lies and cover- ups, and the endless stream of personal condolence letters he has written to the families of fallen Vietnam soldiers, have killed the dream. Like the previous installment, Schenkkan’s new documentary drama premiered at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival under the brisk direction of Bill Rauch, capably corralling the large gallery of famous figures and conducting the eventful four-year recap of political and social history. But the first play had the built-in momentum of a protagonist graduating from the VP spot following John F. Kennedy’s assassination and then setting out to prove himself both before and after a landslide victory running on his own ticket. It also had a sturdy dramatic fulcrum with the passing of the Civil Rights Act. This follow-up is more about the defeat and disillusionment that shaped LBJ’s decision not to run for a second term, so while that arguably gives it greater emotional nuance, it also proves more challenging to theatricalize. Schenkkan attempts to counter the dense Wikipedia-entry aspect of the material by having LBJ step forward at regular intervals to share down- home anecdotes and analogies, often in direct address. But by the third or fourth time of hearing about bull-riding, catfish and such, this punctuation starts to feel mechanical. It’s more enlightening watching Johnson work his unique mix of rough-edged Texan charm and strong-arm tactics to get his programs past reluctant opponents, often by cornering them in front of the press. His masterful manipulation of AMA president James Z. Appel (Marc Kudisch) into declaring his support for Medicare while announcing a network of volunteer-staffed free clinics in Vietnam is hilarious, leaving the doctor both helpless and speechless. Likewise, Johnson’s shrewd maneuvering of George Wallace (David Garrison) when the Alabama governor keeps weaseling out of guaranteeing state protection for the Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights marchers. The principal thrust of the play is the gradual process by which LBJ’s progressive agenda to address poverty, education, healthcare, employment and racial injustice got steamrolled by other concerns. It goes without saying that despite Johnson’s advances in those areas, many of the same unresolved issues continue to divide the country today. “Poor people don’t vote and they sure as hell don’t make campaign contributions, so screw ’em!” LBJ tells Lady Bird with bitter sarcasm, anticipating the bloodbath of cuts to his programs. “I understand the economics, but there’s a meanness here that goes beyond the numbers.” Many scenes in the first act in particular focus on Johnson’s prickly dealings with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Grantham Coleman), as the president initially drags his heels on the Voting Rights Act and then fails to provide Federal protection during the first two of three Selma protest marches aimed at overcoming white resistance to that law. Later, when King shifts his attention to inner-city poverty in Chicago, that city’s mayor, Richard J. Daley (Kudisch), grows hostile, reminding the president of the importance of Illinois support in the midterms. With racially motivated violence and rioting breaking out across the country, divisions within the Civil Rights movement fester, as King’s nonviolent advocacy clashes with the Black Power agitation of Stokely Carmichael (Marchant Davis) and others. Growing unrest at home also makes the continued pouring of billions of tax dollars into the Vietnam War increasingly unpopular. The caginess of defense secretary Robert McNamara (Matthew Rauch) as he lobbies for military budget hikes while making vague promises of an end date to the conflict plays in stark contrast to the rapid escalation of dead and wounded U.S. soldiers, their numbers regularly beamed onto a rear screen. All this is certainly absorbing, either as a reminder for those who lived through the period or a sobering history lesson for those who didn’t, backed by projections of headlines, photographs and news footage. There are many powerful scenes, notably the tense Selma interludes and examples of unprovoked police brutality during peaceful demonstrations, as well as inspiring passages, like LBJ’s “shining moment,” when he finally delivers the Voting Rights Bill to Congress. But at two hours, 40 minutes, The Great Society could have used sharper streamlining to heighten its dramatic potency. Although the supporting players are given relatively limited scope to shape three-dimensional characters, a handful make vivid impressions. Those include Coleman, who captures King’s physically imposing presence and oratorical command; Kudisch, who remains in touch with the working- class thug beneath Daley’s City Hall suits; and Rauch, who nails the gnawing conflict behind McNamara’s bad-news bulletins and growing sense of hopelessness. Bryce Pinkham has incisive moments as Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, whose blue-blood reserve chafes against LBJ’s farm-boy saltiness as the fellow Democrats become open rivals. Despite solid contributions from the actors, other key figures like Richard Thomas’ VP Hubert Humphrey and Gordon Clapp’s J. Edgar Hoover tend to blend into the woodwork of David Korins’ mini-congressional chamber set. The FBI director’s use of the COINTELPRO surveillance and dirty tricks program to “expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit or otherwise neutralize all these Black Nationalist Hate organizations, with special attention to Martin Luther King” is given such rushed handling that the nefariousness of this domestic spying barely registers. Generally, the writing is too busy sketching in historical detail to spare much attention to character development beyond the central figure, but Schenkkan can be commended for not letting his admiration for LBJ get in the way of a clear-eyed portrait. Cox provides a galvanizing center that keeps you watching, even more so as this driven, passionately civic-minded man begins to acknowledge the fatal flaws in his decision-making. It’s a forceful, ultimately affecting performance that carries the sting of a disenchantment all too pertinent to American political life 51 years later. Venue: Vivian Beaumont Theater, New York Cast: Brian Cox, Grantham Coleman, Richard Thomas, Marc Kudisch, Bryce Pinkham, Frank Wood, Gordon Clapp, Marchant Davis, Brian Dykstra, Barbara Garrick, David Garrison, Ty Jones, Christopher Livingston, Angela Pierce, Matthew Rauch, Nikkole Salter, Tramell Tillman, Ted Deasy, Robyn Kerr Director: Bill Rauch Playwright: Robert Schenkkan Set designer: David Korins Costume designer: Linda Cho Lighting designer: David Weiner Music: Paul James Prendergast Sound designers: Paul James Prendergast, Marc Salzberg Projection designer: Victoria Sagady Presented by Jeffrey Richards, Louise L. Gund, Rebecca Gold, Jayne Baron Sherman, Stephanie P. McClelland, Cynthia Stroum, Jennifer Manocherian/Judith Manocherian, Gabrielle Palitz/Cheryl Wiesenfeld, Mark Pigott KBE, Ted Snowdon, Marianne Mills, DeRoy-Schmookler Productions, Shadowcatcher Entertainment, Jacob Soroke Porter, Lincoln Center Theater. The Great Society by Robert Schenkkan. By Robert Schenkkan. Directed by Kevin Moriarty. Co-production with Dallas Theater Center. Suitable for mature audiences. The run time is approximately 2 hours and 35 minutes, including one intermission. Overview. The tumultuous beginning of Lyndon Johnson’s presidency was dramatized by Robert Schenkkan in his Tony Award-winning play All the Way, seen in a spectacular Alley production last season. The LBJ journey continues in part two, The Great Society . From 1965 to 1968, LBJ struggles to fight a war on poverty even as his war in Vietnam spins out of control. Besieged by political opponents, Johnson marshals all his political wiles while the country descends into chaos over the war and backlash against civil rights.