The Great Society

A Play

Robert Schenkkan

• Publisher: Grove Press
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9780802191366
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: American Drama
• Index: Literature

This drama about LBJ's 1960s War on Poverty "shines a bright, clear light on a pivotal moment in American history" (Charles Isherwood, The New York Times ). The tumultuous beginning of Lyndon Johnson's presidency that Robert Schenkkan presented in the multiple Tony-winning All the Way continues in part two, The Great Society, which had its world premiere at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in July 2014, directed by Bill Rauch and starring Jack Willis. In the years from 1965 to 1968, President Lyndon Johnson 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 to try to pass some of the most important social programs in U.S. history, while the country descends into chaos over the war and backlash against civil rights. In the tradition of the great multi-part Shakespearian historical plays, The Great Society is an unflinching examination of the morality of power. "A taut political thriller…Schenkkan's writing shines…a vital study for all those who wish to learn from the past in order to gain some idea of what we might do in the present."? Austin American-Statesman

ACT ONE

SPOT up on LBJ standing Center Stage. The WITNESSES enter, chanting, “All the way with LBJ!” The chant builds to a crescendo, and cuts off. LBJ speaks directly to the audience.

LBJ One year when he was feelin’ flush, my daddy took us all to the rodeo. Boiled peanuts, big dill pickles the size of your fist and pink cotton candy for the kids; for the adults, Shiner beer topped off with a snort of home-brew from a pocket flask. There were rope tricks and clowns and barrel races and bronc bustin’ but the thing everybody came for, the thing everybody wanted to see, was the bull ridin’.

Beat

You could get up close in those days. I stood right there by the gate, my eyes as big as saucers, as they led the biggest, ugliest, meanest looking bull I had ever seen in my life into the chute. Then this good old boy, more balls than brains, carefully climbed on board. He shoved his one gloved hand under the rope around the bull and worked it this way and that, checkin’ his grip ’till he got it just right. The bull snorted once and every muscle on his body twitched. The good old boy took a breath. Nodded at his friends and said, “Here we go.” They released the gate and twenty-seven hundred pounds of horns, hooves, and hate EXPLODED into the arena, twistin’ left and right, buckin’ up and down.

Beat

Everybody gets thrown. Everybody. Sometimes you come down so hard, you break your back. Sometimes the bull comes back and gores you and stomps you while you’re lying there until they drive it away. Sometimes you don’t ever get up. Why would you do that? Why would anybody do that? Well there was one moment in his short ride when I could see that good ole boy’s face and maybe it was a trick of the light but there was such a look of joy. Of triumph.

Beat

Check your grip. Take a breath. Here we go.

LIGHTS SHIFT. CONGRESS. As LBJ moves to the podium, each Witness he passes addresses him:

WITNESSES Mr. President. Mr. President. Mr. President.

TALLY BOARD(TB) reads: JANUARY 4, 1965. STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS. VIETNAM: 435 AMERICAN DEAD. 1,278 WOUNDED

LBJ (to Congress) The Great Society rests on abundance and liberty for all! It demands an end to poverty and racial injustice. We need a program to ensure every American child a quality education. We need a national health insurance plan for our seniors. We need a national effort to improve our inner cities, and we need the elimination of every remaining obstacle to the right and the opportunity to VOTE!

CONGRESS applauds. LIGHTS SHIFT. OVAL OFFICE with VICE PRESIDENT HUMPHREY and SENATOR EVERETT DIRKSEN, Senate Minority Leader. LBJ has three TV sets going at all times (one for each network), a ticker-tape machine for immediate news release...