THE GREAT SOCIETY Historical drama that looks uncomfortably current.

  • JENNY GRAHAM
  • THE GREAT SOCIETY Historical drama that looks uncomfortably current.

There’s no way to ask or answer this without sounding disingenuous, so I’m just going to dive right in: When the news is filled with grotesque images of police officers beating and killing black citizens in real time, what is the appropriate way to look at a work of art that depicts police officers beating and killing black citizens on a stage? Does a 1:1 correlation with the inestimably worse events going on in the streets mean the art is (a) nobly doing its job by holding a mirror to society, (b) a current-events coincidence, or (c) obscene?

This question lodged in my mind many times during The Great Society, the new Seattle Rep production of Robert Schenkkan’s mammoth, three-hour sequel to All The Way, his mammoth, three-hour play about the Johnson administration, but never more stickily than in the riot scenes…

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Sean Nelson has worked at The Stranger on and off since 1996. He is currently Editor-at-Large. His past job titles included: Assistant Editor, Associate Editor, Film Editor, Copy Editor, Web Editor, Slog...