Starting Next Month – September 2018
Dennis McAndrews’ JFK Play Comes To the Prince Theater With Joe Lawless in September
As many of our colleagues, clients, and friends are aware, Dennis McAndrews is the author of a unique one-man play entitled “If JFK Survived Dallas: Presidential Reflections of an Elder Statesman”. Dennis has performed the play in a variety of settings, including in Ireland at the Kennedy Summer School, in Texas to mark the 50th anniversary of JFK’s death in that state, and at other venues across the East Coast such as Georgetown University, Martha’s Vineyard, Villanova University, and many others. The play examines how history may have changed if President Kennedy survived the assassination attempt in Dallas in 1963. http://www.ifjfksurviveddallas.com/.
In an exciting development, the play has now been adopted (with some modest adaptations, including appearances by Jacqueline Kennedy) by an experienced and highly accomplished actor, Joe Lawless, who will present it in Philadelphia at the Prince Theater next month for six Friday and Saturday nights starting September 7. http://princetheater.org/events/eveningwithpresidentkennedy/. Equally at home on stage, film and television, Joe Lawless’ feature film, Abel Ferrara’s “Welcome to New York” premiered at Cannes in May, 2014 to rave reviews. Based on the Dominique Strauss-Kahn 2011 sex scandal, he joined Golden Globe winners Jacqueline Bisset and Gerard Depardieu as the attorney who ultimately obtained the dismissal of the charges against “Devereaux”, Depardieu’s character. The film was shot on location in Manhattan and Paris. In 2012, Mr. Lawless took on the role of Judge Logan in his first feature film, “The Fret and the Fever”. Among other acting credits, Mr. Lawless has appeared in such roles as Arthur in “Camelot”, Curley in “Oklahoma!” and Harold Hill in “The Music Man”.
In this intriguing play, JFK joins the audience as a man in the twilight of his life, reflecting upon his public life several decades after his presidency. The play explores not only the great issues of JFK’s presidency, but also his post-presidential life including the effects of the disclosures of his infidelities and secret health issues. JFK is portrayed as an aging, but still vital, man in his final speaking tour reflecting upon his public life both before and after November, 1963. JFK was the youngest person ever elected to the presidency, and was the first president born in the 20th century. His eloquence, style, wealth, good looks, humor and beautiful family ushered in a new era of American politics where, in Kennedy’s own words, “the torch has been passed to a new generation.” When he was shot and killed in Dallas in November, 1963, the psyche of his generation was gravely wounded.
But what if JFK had only been wounded in Dallas and survived the assassin’s bullets? What would have become of Jackie Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy and Ted Kennedy, as well as issues such as Vietnam, Civil Rights, and the Cold War? These questions–and more–are the subject of this fascinating play. Tickets are available through the Prince Theater website above. We hope you can join us!
