1 JFK SURVIVES DALLAS!: LEE HARVEY OSWALD VERSUS THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, JANUARY 1966 A play by Warren Burdine [email protected] 347-339-0703 2 THE OVERTURE Excerpts of pivotal JFK speeches will play between the opening of the house and the first curtain. These are up to the discretion of the production team. Of course, there will be excerpts from his inaugural speech, including “...Ask not what your country...” The SECOND-TO-LAST EXCERPT is from Eisenhower’s last speech as the POTUS, where he warns against the “military- industrial complex.” THE LAST ONE, before the curtain rise, is a TAPED RECORDING by the actor who plays JFK. President Kennedy delivered this speech on April 27, 1961, at the Waldorf Astoria. This speech is of the utmost importance: among other things, it reinforces the belief many hold that such a secret society was indeed behind the conspiracy and assassination. JFK (V.O.) The very word “secrecy” is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths, and to secret proceedings...Our way of life is under attack. Those who make themselves our enemy are advancing around the globe...no war ever posed a greater threat to our security. If you are awaiting a finding of “clear and present danger,” then I can only say that the danger has never been more imminent...For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies primarily on cover means for expanding its sphere of influence on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerillas by night instead of armies by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly-knit, highly-efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations. Its preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried, not headlined. Its disasters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed. 3 THE PROLOGUE TIME: August 1963 SETTING: Jackson Square, New Orleans. This scene takes place near OSWALD’s “perch” for most of the play. AT RISE: JFK’S taped “Secret Society” speech ends. OSWALD passes out fliers to PASSERSBY—or tries. RECORDING OF “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” by The Animals BLARES OVER. OSWALD Fair Play for Cuba, sir. Please take and read— MALE PASSERBY Go to hell! OSWALD Ma’am, please take this and— FEMALE PASSERBY Young man, why aren’t you working a real job? OSWALD Sir, Fair Play for Cuba— MALE PASSERBY I know you! Harvey Lee something-or-other. Saw you on the TV last week, spoutin that com-nist bull-jazz! Move y’r butt back to Russia, why don’tcha, punk! (unseen by OSWALD, a black-clad figure moves approaches—and GRABS him) OSWALD What the—? BLACK-CLAD FIGURE Shut up. Come with me. OSWALD Who the—? 4 BLACK-CLAD FIGURE I do not want to hurt you, but I will if I have to. (HE starts to drag OSWALD off) OSWALD Officers! You two over there! Can’t you see he’s—? (by now OSWALD is totally offstage) Officers! People! Anyone! (BLACKOUT. RECORDING OF “Sally Go ‘Round The Roses” by the Jaynettes BLARES. SUDDENLY: IMAGE ON SCREEN of JFK’s MOTORCADE in Dallas. THREE SHOTS RING OUT. NEW IMAGE: PURE CHAOS.) RECORDED V.O. ONE We interrupt this broadcast to tell you President Kennedy was shot at 12:30 pm, local time, in Dallas, Texas... RECORDED V.O. TWO ...he has been rushed to Parkland Hospital where the staff works feverishly... (IMAGE ON SCREEN: a phalanx of doctors and nurses work on a patient) RECORDED V.O. THREE ...several hours later, the President’s condition has been upgraded to serious, but stable... (IMAGE ON SCREEN: a smiling JFK gives the victory sign from his hospital bed) RECORDED V.O. ONE ...thanks to a quick-reacting Secret Service agent, Mr. Kennedy suffered only a bullet wound to the throat... (IMAGE ON SCREEN: LBJ takes the Oath of Office on Air Force One) RECORDED V.O. TWO ...as Mr. Kennedy will need several weeks of recovery, in an unprecedented move, Vice President Johnson was sworn in as the temporary POTUS... (IMAGE ON SCREEN: LE officials lead a handcuffed OSWALD away) OSWALD V.O. I’m a patsy! Railroaded! Lawyer! William Kunstler! ACLU! 5 (IMAGE ON SCREEN ONE: a seven-story building. TITLE READS: “The Dallas-Textile (Dal-Tex) Building.” IMAGE ON SCREEN TWO: POV from behind a wooden picket fence that looks toward Elm Street. TITLE READS: “Dealy Plaza, Dallas.”) RECORDED V.O. THREE Lee Oswald, who landed the only shot on Mr. Kennedy, later confessed he was one of at least three hired guns. However, he has no details beyond his own assignment... (IMAGE ON SCREEN: JFK appears before a packed room of high-level officials) RECORDED V.O. ONE On Tuesday, April 14, 1964, after four-and-a-half months of recovery, Mr. Kennedy returned to the Presidency... (IMAGE ON SCREEN: US TROOPS board a ship) RECORDED V.O. TWO However, the president’s campaign promise to withdraw U.S. troops from Southeast Asia has caused a great divide... RECORDED V.O. THREE What should have been a landslide win over Barry Goldwater turned into a surprisingly narrow victory... RECORDED V.O. ONE All polls show a constant 50-50 split among Americans... RECORDED V.O. TWO The removal has justified those who feared the “Domino Effect,” as Communism has spread to the predicted nations, with The Philippines—and possibly Japan—next... JFK/OFFSTAGE Japan? Never!...At least, I hope not...! (IMAGE ON SCREEN: a classic 1960’s clash Between opposing demonstrators) RECORDED V.O. THREE A rally in Washington last week, with about 5,000 pro- and anti- withdrawal supporters on each side, turned violent... RECORDED V.O. ONE Another is scheduled for this Saturday, and 2,000 National Guard troops will be on hand... 6 RECORDED V.O. TWO Ironically, on the same day of the troops withdrawal, Lee Harvey Oswald recanted his confession of being part of the Conspiracy against President Kennedy... (RECORDING of “Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones BLARES for a few moments, then... RECORDED V.O. THREE Partly from the public’s demand to hear Oswald’s side of the story, Chief Justice Earl Warren and the Supreme Court have agreed to break certain long-standing procedures... RECORDED V.O. TWO ...and hear his claim that he is innocent in the attack... RECORDED V.O. THREE ...The Trial of the Century begins Tuesday, January 18, 1966, in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court Building... RECORDED V.O. ONE ...the undefeated J. Francis Riley, a former Marine Corp captain, will represent Oswald... RECORDED V.O. TWO ...while the relatively-unknown William Lanier Cain will be chief counsel for the People of the United States... (IMAGE ON SCREEN: classic 1960’s rally, with mostly young people.) RECORDED V.O. THREE Thousands of young people, as they have from Day One of this situation, continue to rally in support of Oswald—and against the return of US troops to Southeast Asia! VOICES/OFFSTAGE FREE OSWALD! HE’S JUST A PATSY! FREE OSWALD! JUST A PATSY! KEEP OUR TROOPS OUT OF ASIA! KEEP OUR TROOPS OUT OF ASIA! (“Satisfaction” RESUMES, then BLACKOUT 7 SCENE ONE TIME: Wednesday, January 12, 1966 SETTINGS: JFK’s study; CHIEF WARREN’S chamber; OSWALD’S cell AT RISE: The chair in JFK’s study is empty; his VOICE comes from OFFSTAGE and is MIC’d; WAR- REN, CAIN, and RILEY are in WARREN’s chamber. VOICES/OFFSTAGE FREE OSWALD! HE’S JUST A PATSY! FREE OSWALD! JUST A PATSY! (The CHANT continues, then peters out) JFK/OFFSTAGE Mr. Warren! I have you on speaker phone. How are you? WARREN Very good, Sir. I have the two lead counsels with me.... JFK/OFFSTAGE Gentlemen... CAIN AND RILEY Mr. President! JFK/OFFSTAGE I’m a bit behind on all this. With all the rallies that demand I send troops back to Southeast Asia—and those, mostly young people, who demand I not! WARREN We understand, sir... JFK/OFFSTAGE Wait ‘til the weather gets warm. That’ll bring ‘em all out: the sincere and the psychos! WARREN Indeed. We’re going to the Media tomorrow with the details. We’d like your feedback. JFK Like the McCarthy and Eichmann trials, live, national TV? WARREN With a one-hour delay. To edit sensitive material, off- color comments, jargon most people can’t understand...and anything that might compromise national security... 8 JFK/OFFSTAGE Very good. The Plaintiff first demanded a trial...? RILEY Roughly this time last year. To take place in the state of Texas, where the crime occurred. JFK/OFFSTAGE He’d already pled guilty...days after the attempt... CAIN He recanted, claimed he was innocent because— JFK/OFFSTAGE He was in a prison only a dozen people knew where. How did the news of his claim and demand for a trial get out? WARREN Some sympathetic prison officials seeped the news to the Media. First and Sixth Amendments: Freedom of Speech and Right to a Fair Trial. JFK/OFFSTAGE [Sympathy! For—him? I understand the millions who feel for his ex-wife and older brothers—but him?] (aloud) I’m hearing that “Free...” chant in my sleep. VOICES/OFFSTAGE FREE OSWALD! HE’S JUST A PATSY! FREE OSWALD! JUST A PATSY! (again, the CHANT peters out) JFK/OFFSTAGE [Only in America can you try to kill a president, confess, recant, and become a cause celebre!] (aloud) Saints preserve us! But this is, after all, a Free Country! CAIN To a fault, at times.