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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
Praise for The Great Society:
“Schenkkan doesn’t need to draw any diagrams to make us feel how relevant the issues it explores remain. . . . impressive in its scope, surprisingly energetic and shines a bright, clear light on a pivotal moment in American history . . . I came away more impressed than I was with All the Way—and, ultimately, more moved.”—Charles Isherwood, New York Times
“Panoramic, instructive and generally enthralling . . . We view an onslaught of challenges and crises, from Johnson’s increasingly embattled viewpoint — brilliantly counterpointed by the parallel experience of civil-rights leader the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. . . . forcefully evokes a tumultuous era, one (as Schenkkan pointedly reminds us) that set the stage for our current political and social landscape.”—Seattle Times
“The Great Society continues a profound and searching engagement with a key era of recent US history . . . moves at top speed, hurtling onwards. There is hardly a slack moment . . . Schenkkan is a master of one and two line scenes that quickly shift focus. . . . it all works brilliantly. . . . When the lights came on at around 4:15 PM on opening day and we had to file out into the screaming late July Ashland sun, I was a little sad that we weren’t heading off on a dinner break before returning to follow the story ever onward – through Nixon, and Ford, and Carter.”—Portland Theater Scene
“The Great Society speaks powerfully to today through the politics of yesterday . . . A taut political thriller . . . Schenkkan’s writing shines as he crafts potent drama . . . A necessary [play], and . . . 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.”—American-Statesman (Austin 360)
“Engrossing . . . A monumental achievement . . . Through the genius of The Great Society, we relive Selma. We relive the Watts riots in Los Angeles. We relive the Chicago race riots and Mayor Richard J. Daley . . . A great play.”—Queen Anne News
Praise for All the Way:
Winner of the Tony Award for Best Play
“All the Way puts the theater of politics on stage, and produces a masterful story that all Americans should see.”—Nancy Pelosi
“Jaw-dropping political drama . . . Johnson was famously crude, rude, and ruthless. Schenkkan, a Pulitzer Prize winner for The Kentucky Cycle, packs all that into his rich character-study . . . [A] beautifully built dramatic piece.”—Marilyn Stasio, Variety
“One of the most fabulous theater things ever . . . You’ll see and understand better the towering ego, political acumen, power-grabbing personality, honesty, the truth, and the lies of one of the greatest characters America has ever produced . . . Beg, borrow or steal a ticket to recent history made real again, in All the Way.”—Huffington Post
“All the Way is a great history lesson for voters and politicians who are concerned about the quality of America’s civic life.”—CNN
“An action packed new play about a seismic moment in American history.”—Variety
“With a cinematic sweep and an eye toward teasing out parallels to our current political gridlock, Schenkkan artfully traces the first year of LBJ’s presidency.”—Entertainment Weekly
Robert Schenkkan is a Pulitzer Prize-, Tony Award-, and Writers Guild Award-winning author of stage, television, and film. He has been nominated for two Emmys and is the author of twelve original full-length plays, two musicals, and a collection of one-act plays. He cowrote the feature film The Quiet American, and his television credits include The Pacific, The Andromeda Strain, and Spartacus. His most recent play is All the Way.