Summary and Purpose of the Play

BRIEF SUMMARY

John F. Kennedy: Light the World is a  multi media play with projected still photos and live folk songs. It is ceremonial (a set of actions, statements, and songs), performed for a serious purpose (to honor President Kennedy and to encourage civility in political discourse), and staged a specific day or during the week of that day: President's Day (3rd Monday in February), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), Independence Day (July 4th), and Veterans Day (November 11th). Of course, the anniversary of JFK's assassination -- November 22nd will be the most likely production date.

The characters: two (2) Chorus Leaders (male and female) and six (6) American citizens - 3 males, 3 females - who comprise the cast and the chorus. For larger productions, the number of actors may be expanded (+2, +4, etc.). The play features eight (8) original folk songs, plus "Amazing Grace," "Wayfaring Stranger," and two well known patriotic hymns ("America the Beatutiful" and "My Country Tis of Thee) sung by male and female vocalists.

Sections of the play include a prologue and epilogue and several parts, each of which is introduced by Male Actor One as the Herald. The prologue section begins with a processional as the actors all march in slowly through the audience to their places on stage as an instrumental version of “Londonderry Air” plays on the organ. The Procession is followed by an invocation where the chorus leaders appeal to God and the Muses for aid in this endeavor.

Part 1, “Acts and Deeds” presents quotations from Kennedy speeches and his heroic actions as a naval officer and as president, Part 2 "Enduring Words" is a section on certain  "words" associated with the assassination that have nearly become a part of our national memory, examples being “the Texas School Book Depository,” and “grassy knoll.” Part 3 "Fear and Trembling" concerns the fear which many felt -- that a nuclear war could be incited by the assassination. It's also the section where the chorus leaders refer to a Biblical monster, the Levithan, as a metaphor for the group of conspirators who killed President Kennedy. There is an Intermission after Part 3. 

Part 4 "A Grief for the Ages" describes the nation’s grief by presenting in first person the individual stories of a few characters from the small town of Anderson Springs. Each character tells us what they were doing, and how they were impacted by the assassination. Part 5 "Aftermath: Chaos, War, and Hell" describes the destructive cultural aftermath: the 1960s chaos including more assassinations, the Vietnam War, student protests, the change in popular music, etc., Part 6 is called “New Hope” and the Actors suggest that even though the Levithan survives (with different personnel of course)  and continues to divide us by hatred and extreme ideology, the appearance of new leaders (none are named) who resist the Leviathan plus our remembering JFK ‘s message of unity and civility will ensure the continued success of the U.S.

The epilogue is a call for citizens to ignore the dividers and haters and come together to restore civility to our political discourse and to honor our National Story or Myth. As JFK himself said, “Let us not emphasize all on which we differ but all we have in common. Let us not consider what we fear separately but what we share together.”

PURPOSE:

The play's purpose is to honor JFK the man and the President and – because of the increasing hatred in politics today -- to urge citizens to follow his advice about unity and civility.

“Let us not emphasize all on which we differ but all we have in common. Let us consider not what we fear separately but what we share together."

John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States.