Also by Robert Schenkkan
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By the Waters of Babylon
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The Dream Thief
Heaven on Earth
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A Single Shard
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Grove Press
New York
Copyright 2017 by Robert Schenkkan
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CAUTION: Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that performance of The Great Society is subject to payment of a royalty. It is fully protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America, and of all countries covered by the International Copyright Union (including the Dominion of Canada and the rest of the British Commonwealth), and of all countries covered by the Pan-American Copyright Convention, the Universal Copyright Convention, the Berne Convention, and of all countries with which the United States has reciprocal copyright relations. All rights, including without limitation professional/amateur stage rights, motion picture, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio broadcasting, television. video or sound recording, all other forms of mechanical, electronic and digital reproduction, transmission and distribution, such as CD, DVD, the Internet, private and file-sharing networks, information storage and retrieval systems, photocopying, and the rights of translation into foreign languages are strictly reserved. Particular emphasis is placed upon the matter of readings, permission for which must be secured from the Authors agent in writing.
The English language stock and amateur stage performance rights in the United States, its territories, possessions and Canada for The Great Society are controlled exclusively by Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 440 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016. No professional or nonprofessional performance of the Play may be given without obtaining in advance the written permission of Dramatists Play Service, Inc., and paying the requisite fee. Inquiries concerning all other rights should be addressed to William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, LLC, 11 Madison Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10010. Attn: Derek Zasky.
Published simultaneously in Canada
Printed in the United States of America
The Great Society was developed, in part, with assistance from the Orchard Project, a program of The Exchange (www.exchangenyc.org)
First edition published by Grove Atlantic: May 2017
ISBN 978-0-8021-2373-2
eISBN 978-0-8021-9136-6
Grove Press
an imprint of Grove Atlantic
154 West 14th Street
New York, NY 10011
Distributed by Publishers Group West
groveatlantic.com
For those extraordinary men and women who fought so hard
and sacrificed so much in the fight for Civil Rights.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
The Great Society was commissioned by the Seattle Repertory Theatre and developed by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for their American Revolutions: The United States History Cycle, a ten-year program of up to thirty-seven new plays about moments of change in United States History. It received its world premiere at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival on July 27, 2014. The production was directed by Bill Rauch. Bill Rauch, Artistic Director; Cynthia Rider, Executive Director; Christopher Acebo, Scenic Design; Deborah M. Dryden, Costume Design; David Weiner, Lighting Design; Shawn Sagady, Video Design; Paul James Prendergast, Composer & Sound Design; Tom Bryant, Dramaturgy; U. Jonathan Toppo, Fight Director; Rebecca Clark Carey, Voice and Text Director. The production sponsors were the Edgerton Foundation New Play Award, and Charlotte Lin and Robert P. Porter. The production partners were The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Trine Sorensen and Michael Jacobson, Kevin and Suzanne Kahn, and The Kinsman Foundation.
The cast was as follows:
Lyndon Baines Johnson
Jack Willis
Appel/Daley/Wheeler
Denis Arndt
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Kenajuan Bentley
Stokely Carmichael/Lewis
Wayne T. Carr
Bobby Kennedy/Ens.
Danforth Comins
J. Edgar Hoover/Ens.
Richard Elmore
Hubert Humphrey/Ens.
Peter Frechette
Wallace/Nixon/McCone
Jonathan Haugen
Dirksen/DeLoach/Ens.
Michael J. Hume
Moses/Williams/Frye/Ens.
Kevin Kenerly
Coretta Scott King/Ens.
Bakesta King
Lady Bird Johnson/Ens.
Terri McMahon
McNamara/Mills/Ens.
Mark Murphey
Pat Nixon/Muriel Humphrey
Rachael Warren
Abernathy/Powell/Ens.
Tyrone Wilson
Bevel/Jackson/Ens.
Tobie Windham
Walinsky/Westmoreland/Ens.
Rex Young
The Great Society received its Washington premiere at the Seattle Repertory Theatre on November 14, 2014. The production was directed by Bill Rauch. Jerry Manning, Artistic Director; Benjamin Moore, Managing Director; Christopher Acebo, Scenic Design; Deborah M. Dryden, Costume Design; David Weiner, Lighting Design; Shawn Sagady, Video Design; Paul James Prendergast, Composer & Sound Design; Tom Bryant, Dramaturgy; Sarah Smith, Associate Costume Design; U. Jonathan Toppo, Fight Director; Nicole A. Watson, Associate Director; Rebecca Clark Carey, Voice and Text Director.
The cast was as follows:
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Kenajuan Bentley
Stokely Carmichael/John Lewis/Ensemble
Wayne Carr
Sen. Robert F. Kennedy/Charles Robb/Ensemble
Danforth Comins
J. Edgar Hoover/Ensemble
Richard Elmore
Vice President Hubert Humphrey/Ensemble
Peter Frechette
Gov. George Wallace/Sherriff Jim Clark/Richard M. Nixon/ John McCone/Norman Morrison/Ensemble
Jonathan Haugen
Sen. Everett Dirksen/Deke DeLoach/Colonel Al Lingo/Clark Clifford/Ensemble
Michael J. Hume
James Bevel/Jimmie Lee Jackson/Ensemble
Reginald Andr Jackson
Bob Moses/Rev. Dobynes/Hosea Williams/Marquette Frye/Ensemble
Kevin Kenerly
Sally Childress/Coretta Scott King/Ensemble
Bakesta King
Lady Bird Johnson/Ensemble
Terri McMahon
Robert McNamara/Rep. Wilbur Mills/Ensemble
Mark Murphey
Adam Walinsky/General William Westmoreland/Seymore Trammel/Stanley Levison/Gardner Ackley/Ensemble