Fighting for the dream
The tumultuous beginning of Lyndon Johnson’s presidency that Robert Schenkkan presented in "All the Way" (2012) continues in part two, "The Great Society." In the years 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 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. This American Revolutions–developed world premiere is an unflinching examination of the morality of power.
Commissioned and co-produced with Seattle Repertory Theatre. See both All the Way and The Great Society performed in repertory at Seattle Repertory Theatre November 14, 2014 to January 4, 2015. Details at www.seattlerep.org
"The Great Society" was developed, in part, with assistance from the Orchard Project, a program of The Exchange (www.exchangenyc.org).