''An Evening with Richard Nixon'', originally billed as ''An Evening with Richard Nixon and...'', is a play by

Gore Vidal Eugene Luther Gore Vidal ( ; born Eugene Louis Vidal, October 3, 1925 – July 31, 2012) was an American writer and public intellectual known for his acerbic epigrammatic wit. His novels and essays interrogated the Social norm, social and sexual ...

which opened at the Shubert Theatre in April 1972. The play was produced by Hillard Elkins, directed by Edwin Sherin, and starred George S. Irving, Gene Rupert, Humbert Allen Estredo, Stephen D. Newman, Philip Sterling and Robert King. As yet "undiscovered" in the ensemble were future stars Maureen Anderman and

Susan Sarandon Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actor. With a career spanning over five decades, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award, in addition to ...

. The play is a wry examination of the career and

Presidency A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified b ...

(up to that pre-

Watergate The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon. The scandal began in 1972 and ultimately led to Nixon's resignation in 1974, in August of that year. It revol ...

point) of

Richard M. Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 36th vice president under P ...

(Irving). As it starts, two pundits, a William F. Buckley-like Pro (Rupert) and a Gore Vidal-like Con (Estredo) are debating the worthiness of Nixon. Unable to settle their differences objectively, they magically convene a tribunal of deceased, past Presidents —

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...

(Sterling),

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

(King) and

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

(Newman) — to review the Nixon career and pass judgment. The rules are strict: anything we observe in the central playing area, which is dedicated to historical recreation, is taken from actual public record; every word spoken by anyone is what that person actually said. This applies especially to Nixon, whose words, we are assured, remain in their original context. Only Pro, Con and the Tribunal speak freely in the immediate present. And of course, they have much to say. Previews began on April 18, and the play ran from April 30 to May 13, for a total of 14 previews and 16 regular performances. The published version of the play, prepared prior to rehearsals, features only the tribunal of presidents, but not the characters of Pro and Con, who were added later.

References

External links

''An Evening With Richard Nixon'' at Internet Broadway Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Evening With Richard Nixon 1972 plays Broadway plays Plays based on real people Plays by Gore Vidal Satirical plays Political satire plays Cultural depictions of Richard Nixon Cultural depictions of John F. Kennedy Cultural depictions of Dwight D. Eisenhower Cultural depictions of George Washington