Two of the most polarizing figures of the 20th century were Richard Nixon and Martin Luther King, Jr.
--Nixon, for his paranoia and his opportunism, and King for his selfless devotion to peaceful non-violent resistance.
Neither man was wholly a sinner or a saint.
Nixon was a brave (Republican!) advocate for civil rights, and was a devoted family man.
King had numerous affairs and controversially opposed the Vietnam War.
This play examines a crucial point in American history--the year 1960, the year in which the country elected, for the first time, a man born in the 20th century.
The contest was between two young, ambitious politicians, Senator John F.
Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon.
Ultimately, Kennedy prevailed due to his greater mastery of television, and his willingness to take a political risk that Nixon would not--namely, rescuing King from a dangerous southern prison.
The play is about risk taking in all forms--politics, love, and violence.