All the Way

by Robert Schenkkan

  LBJ King knows where I stand; I don’t need to get on the goddamn rooftops and shout it out, especially not here in New Orleans. Goldwater’s now up twenty-two points in Louisiana!

  LBJ nervously studies his speech. King and Coretta have reached the Dais and are waving to the audience.

  CORETTA KING (angry) I cannot believe the President is ignoring you like this.

  MLK We might have to do something different to get his attention.

  Throughout the following, the King of Norway will ceremoniously shake hands with the Kings, and then formally drape the Nobel Medal around MLK’s neck. Pictures are taken.

  SENATOR HUBERT HUMPHREY It’s just there are ugly rumors that Hoover has ratcheted up his campaign against King.

  LBJ I’m not gonna get into a pissin’ contest with Hoover just days before the election.

  Chants of “Goldwater” surge in volume.

  What the hell is wrong with those people; this is a Democratic rally for Christ’s sake. Where’s the Governor?

  SENATOR HUBERT HUMPHREY (bitter) He left an hour ago; suddenly called, “out of town.”

  LBJ (coldly furious) Cowardly son of a bitch. You hear what they did to Lady Bird this mornin’ in South Carolina? Burned a cross in front of her and called her a “communist” and a “nigger-lover.” I have had enough of this shit. (yells at ANNOUNCER) Let’s get a move on!

  KING OF NORWAY Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present the winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace, DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING!

  MLK moves DSR to a podium to the sound of enthusiastic applause.

  NEW ORLEANS ANNOUNCER And now, let’s give a warm New Orleans welcome to the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!

  LBJ “enters” DC to a chorus of “Boos.”

  LBJ Alright you’ve had your say, now I’m gonna have mine!

  More Boos. LBJ stares back—a moment of decision. He crumples up his prepared speech.

  MLK I accept this award on behalf of a Civil Rights Movement which is moving with determination to establish a reign of freedom and a rule of justice.

  LBJ My fellow Southerners—my fellow Southerners. Like you, I grieve for the condition of our beloved South.

  The audience quiets as LBJ lowers his voice and makes an appeal to their conscience direct from his heart.

  MLK Only yesterday in Alabama, our children, crying out for brotherhood, were answered with fire hoses, dogs, and even death.

  LBJ Like you, I have watched with sadness and quiet fury as self-serving politicians have divided and conquered us with the poisonous lie of racial hatred.

  MLK Only yesterday in Mississippi, young people seeking the right to vote were brutalized and murdered.

  LBJ For over a hundred years, nobody’s dared to speak the truth. All we ever hear at election time is: “NIGGER! NIGGER! NIGGER!”

  MLK I refuse to believe that we are so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism . . .

  LBJ Well, not anymore. I am not gonna let them build up the hate.

  MLK . . . that the bright daybreak of brotherhood can never become a reality.

  LBJ I am not gonna let them trick my people by appealin’ to their prejudice.

  MLK I still believe in the promise of America.

  LBJ Whatever your views are, we have a Constitution.

  MLK I still believe that we all can have dignity, equality, and freedom.

  LBJ Whatever your views are, we have a new law of the land.

  MLK I still believe . . .

  LBJ A civil rights law.

  MLK . . . That we shall overcome.

  LBJ And you can vote for me or vote against me but I signed it, and by God, I am going to enforce it because it is the right thing to do and high time we did it!

  Sounds of standing ovation in both Oslo and New Orleans.

  MLK exits. LBJ alone on stage, looks at the TB. Titles: NOVEMBER 3, 1964! ELECTION NIGHT! Multiple streaming IMAGES showing election returns surging in state by state, along with IMAGES of intense, worried VOTERS and STAFFERS, eventually morphing into a giant ELECTORAL MAP starkly revealing LBJ’S landslide victory.

  The stage is suddenly flooded with ecstatic LBJ SUPPORTERS, waving flags. Confetti falls as they surround LBJ, chanting, “ALL THE WAY WITH LBJ! ALL THE WAY WITH LBJ!” Red, White and Blue silk banners fall from the sky. Sounds of fireworks and cheering crowds. Patriotic bunting drapes the stage.

  Lady Bird pulls LBJ slightly away. As she does so, the supporters move US.

  LADY BIRD JOHNSON Sixteen million votes! Don’t tell me this country doesn’t love you, darlin’!

  Lady Bird hugs LBJ. He smiles but seems withdrawn. From across the room . . .

  PARTY GOER BIRD!

  LADY BIRD JOHNSON (to LBJ) Be right back!

  Lady Bird runs over and hugs her friend as McNamara approaches LBJ from the other side, carrying a distinctive red folder.

  ROBERT MCNAMARA Congratulations, Mr. President. And my apologies.

  McNamara hands the red folder to LBJ.

  MCNAMARA (quietly) From our Ambassador in Saigon.

  As LBJ opens the folder and scans the briefing paper, simultaneously a SPOT comes up on MLK and FRIENDS at home watching the election on TV and celebrating. A doorbell rings.

  MLK Coretta! Can you get that?!

  Coretta enters SR carrying a cardboard box.

  CORETTA KING It’s for you, Martin! You want me to open it?!

  MLK Yeah, sure!

  A triumphant Humphrey approaches LBJ from the other side opposite McNamara. McNamara drifts discreetly US. LBJ closes the folder and holds it down, away from Humphrey.

  VICE-PRESIDENT HUMPHREY CONGRATULATIONS, MR. PRESIDENT; A HISTORIC VICTORY! Sixty-one percent of the popular vote. We picked up forty-eight House seats and even two seats in the Senate!

  LBJ Yeah, Bobby won New York.

  VICE-PRESIDENT HUMPHREY Bobby Kennedy is no challenge! He never was.

  LBJ (distracted) Uh-huh.

  MLK (re: the box) What was it?

  Coretta now has the box open and lifts out a tape and holds it up.

  CORETTA KING Just a buncha tapes!

  VICE-PRESIDENT HUMPHREY Hell, Goldwater only carried six states!

  MLK I’ll be there in a minute!

  Coretta pulls out a tape player and headphones. She puts on the headphones and listens to the tape recorder, a look of horror growing on her face.

  LBJ (quiet; pained) Count the votes, Hubert. He won five Southern states, including Georgia. Hell, Georgia has never voted Republican, not even during Reconstruction. Time was, we could win the South with Farm support and programs for poor people but not this time, no, this time they voted against their own interests so they could wave the bloody flag and Goldwater was crazy. Wait ’till the Party of Lincoln gets some slick, sweet-smiling candidate, somebody a little more presentable. Count the goddamn votes. Get me a drink.

  Humphrey exits. McNamara moves to LBJ.

  ROBERT MCNAMARA What would you like us to do, sir?

  LBJ hands the red folder back.

  LBJ I need to think on it.

  McNamara nods and moves DSR where he waits and watches, clutching the red folder.

  Abernathy puts an arm around MLK as they stare at the TV news.

  RALPH ABERNATHY (re: the TV) Look. Look! “Ninety-six percent of the Negro vote to Johnson.” They owe us big time, Martin. Now they’ll give us that Voting Rights Bill!

  MLK LBJ’s not gonna give us anything; we have to take it. We’re gonna start a new campaign. Right away. In Alabama.

  SPOT comes up on Wallace (cigar in hand) and Lurleen DSL watching the celebration on TV.

  LURLEEN WALLACE (re: the TV results) I’m so sorry, George. I guess that’s it, huh?

&n
bsp; GOVERNOR GEORGE WALLACE That’s what?

  Coretta approaches MLK, tape recorder and headphones in hand.

  CORETTA KING Martin? What have you done?

  MLK What is it, baby?

  LURLEEN WALLACE I guess it’s over.

  Coretta hands MLK the headphones and moves away while MLK listens to the tape.

  Lady Bird finds LBJ.

  LADY BIRD JOHNSON I’m so glad it’s over, aren’t you?

  LBJ smiles warmly at Lady Bird and wraps an arm around her.

  GOVERNOR GEORGE WALLACE Hell, Lurleen, ain’t nothin’ over.

  LBJ Over?

  GOVERNOR GEORGE WALLACE/LBJ It’s just gettin’ started.

  LADY BIRD JOHNSON What are you doing in here, standing by yourself? Everybody’s waitin’ on you!

  Lady Bird gently tries to pull LBJ towards the party. Suddenly, LBJ pulls Lady Bird into him and kisses her passionately. A moment. LBJ breaks the kiss. Lady Bird is surprised; thrilled.

  Come join the party, darling. Your Party.

  LBJ In a minute.

  Lady Bird moves US. LIGHTS FADE DOWN to single SPOT on LBJ.

  (to audience) You’re goddamn right it’s my Party and I had to drag it into the light kickin’ and screamin’ every inch of the way. Did it make you feel a little squeamish? Did you have to look away sometimes? ’Cause this is how new things are born. Bird and I lost three babies ’fore we had Lynda. I remember the moment when they finally let me into the room to see my first live child and there on the floor you could still see the footprints of the doctors in my wife’s blood and I thought, yeah, this is familiar. I know this.

  There is a burst of laughter and noise and the CROWD starts singing, “Happy Days Are Here Again!”

  (to audience) But right now we’re gonna party like there’s no tomorrow ’cause there’s no feeling in the world half as good as winning! But the sun will come up and the knives will come out and all these smiling faces will be watchin’ me, watchin’ me, waitin’ for that one, first moment of weakness, and then they will gut me like a deer.

  LIGHTS rise to include ALL as everyone else on stage finishes singing and is now staring at LBJ.

  REST OF COMPANY “HA-PPY. DAYS. ARE. HERE. A-GAIN!”

  Everyone but Lady Bird/LBJ freeze. Lady Bird shouts to LBJ from across the stage.

  LADY BIRD JOHNSON You OK, honey?!

  LBJ answers Lady Bird but his eyes never leave the audience.

  LBJ I’m fine, Bird. I’m great. (fierce; triumphant) HELL, I’M PRESIDENT!

  LBJ stares defiantly at the Audience as the Lights BLACKOUT.

  END OF PLAY.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Tom Bryant. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, American Revolutions Project. Bill Rauch. Alison Carey. Julie Dubiner. Lue Douthit. Lydia Garcia. Emily Sophia Knapp. Jack Willis. Ari Edelson, Dean Strober, and The Orchard Project. The MacDowell Colony. Diane Paulus, Diane Borger and The American Repertory Theater. Doris Kearns Goodwin. Richard Goodwin. Joe Califano, Jr. Harry Middleton. Bob Moses. Louis Gates, Jr. Peniel E. Joseph. Mark Updegrove and The LBJ Library. Jerry Manning, Braden Abraham, Benjamin Moore and The Seattle Repertory Theatre. Harold and Mimi Steinberg. The American Theater Critics Association. The Edward M. Kennedy Family. Columbia University. The University of Texas at Austin. Derek Zasky. David Lubliner. Dawn Saltzman. Caitlin Saylor Stephens. Charlotte Lin and Robert Porter.