Article: What's a little war among friends?

In the right hands, theater can function as a kind of thermometer that calibrates to a precise degree the emotional temperature of the times.

To measure the intensity of public anger at President Lyndon B. Johnson over the Vietnam War, consider "MacBird!" a scorching satire that premiered in 1967 and ran for nearly a year in New York. Written by antiwar activist Barbara Garson, "MacBird!" accused LBJ of orchestrating the murder of President Kennedy so he could, Macbeth-style, take JFK's place.

To measure the intensity of public anger at President George W. Bush over the Iraq war, historians may find themselves consulting such plays as Craig Wright's flawed but engrossing "Lady," which ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!