DAVID ARROW STARS IN HIS OWN WORK ON ROBERT F. KENNEDY

 

 

AFTER ACTOR AND WRITER DAVID ARROW WAS INVITED TO PLAY ROBERT KENNEDY IN A PLAY “RFK “ BY JACK HOLMES, HE DID EXTENSIVE RESEARCH, READING AT LEAST FORTY BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT.  HE DECIDED TO PEN HIS OWN VERSION OF THE POLITICIAN, FOCUSING ON THE PIVOTAL YEAR 1968

WHEN HE RAN FOR PRESIDENT.  THE RESULT IS “KENNEDY:  BOBBY’S LAST CRUSADE” SHOWCASED AND STREAMED BY WEST HARTFORD’S PLAYHOUSE ON PARK RECENTLY. 

 

THIS ONE MAN SHOW THAT DAVID ARRROW TACKLES BRILLIANTLY IS BASED ON THE LAST THREE MONTHS OF RFK’S LIFE, BEFORE HE IS TRAGICALLY ASSASSINATED MOMENTS AFTER VICTORIOUSLY WINNING THE CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY AGAINST EUGENE MCCARTY AT THE AMBASSADOR HOTAL IN LOS ANGELES.

 

DAVID ARROW BEARS A STRIKING RESEMBLANCE TO THIS “FOLK HERO” IN PERSONA AND VOICE, WITH A STRONG BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS ACCENT.  HE PORTRAYS JOHN F. KENNEDY’S YOUNGER BROTHER, SO OFTEN IN JFK’S SHADOW, HERE HE ASSERTS HIMSELF AS A CHAMPION OF THE PEOPLE, THE POOR AND DISENFRANCISED,  AN OPPONENT OF THE VIETNAM WAR AND A LEADER AGAINST DIVISION AND VIOLENCE.  HE QUESTIONED WHETHER HE WAS THE MAN TO DEFEAT LYNDON JOHNSON AND GENE MCCARTHY AND IF HE HAD ENTERED THE RACE TOO LATE?

 

RFK BELIEVED THE COUNTRY WAS ON THE WRONG COURSE AND HE WANTED TO USE HIS CAREER AS A LAWYER AND AS ATTORNEY GENERAL TO MAKE MUCH NEEDED CHANGES. THOUGH HE HATED MAKING SPEECHES, HE IS BUSY CROSSING THE COUNTRY TO PLEAD HIS CASE TO BUILD AMERICA FOR THE FUTURE, VISITING 12 STATES IN 2 WEEKS.  THEN TWO EVENTS GALVANIZE HIM:  LBJ DECLARES HE WILL NOT RUN FOR REELECTION AND MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. IS KILLED BY AN ASSASSIN IN MEMPHIS.

 

RFK KNEW THERE WOULD BE GUNS BETWEEN HIM AND THE WHITE HOUSE.   HE FELT THE MILITARY COULD NOT SAVE AMERICA.  ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, HE FELT PEOPLE NEEDED TO SEE AND HEAR HIM AND KNOW HE WAS GENUINE.  AT THAT MOMENT IN TIME, HAVING WON THE CALIFORNIA PRIMARY, HE KNEW THE PEOPLE WERE THERE FOR HIM, WANTING HIM TO RIGHT THE COUNTRY’S WRONGS.  WE WILL NEVER KNOW IF HE COULD HAVE SUCCEEDED IN THAT IMPOSSIBLE QUEST.

 

RFK WAS A SYMBOL OF “MODERN AMERICAN LIBERALISM” WHO ADVOCATED FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND USED HIS IMPERFECTIONS TO CRAFT A CAMPAIGN FOR A BETTER AMERICA.  ERIC NIGHTINGALE DIRECTS THIS SLICE OF REALISM WITH A STRONG HAND. THE PLAY CAN BE STEAMED UNTIL OCTOBER 4 FOR $20 BY CALLING PLAYHOUSE ON PARK AT 860-523-5900 EXT.10. THE PLAY WILL BE SCREENED AT DUNKIN’ DONUTS PARK ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 AND AT

INGERSOL POP-UP DRIVE-IN ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4.  FUTURE PLAYS WILL BE “ALL IS CALM” SET IN 1914 AT CHRISTMAS AND  “CHILDREN OF PARADISE” SET IN HEAVEN.  THE THEME FOR THE PLAYHOUSE’S TWELTH SEASON IS, APPROPRIATELY, HOPE.

THIS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, FROM 3-4 P.M. PLAYHOUSE ON PARK WILL HOST A PANEL DISCUSSION ON ZOOM WITH CHUCK COURSEY, FOUNDING BOARD MEMBER AS MODERATOR, AND  PANELISTS  PLAYWRIGHT AND ACTOR DAVID ARROW, MICHAEL DEVORKIN ATTORNEY, BURKE DOAR ATTORNEY AND JUDGE BARRY STEVENS, SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE. You must register in advance in order to watch the live Zoom Webinar. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rXJp2Mr2Sp-SmRLdWOf8Bg After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. This conversation will be recorded and uploaded to the WHCi YouTube channel for future viewings. Can’t join us live? Visit the WHCi YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzpHKCsl6ag