Playwright: Russell Lees. At: Writers' Theatre at Books on Vernon, 664 Vernon, Glencoe. Phone: 847-242-6000; $60-$75. Runs through: Oct. 19
Writers' Theatre's revival of Nixon's Nixon is perfectly timed to the election season. And it makes for a stirring case of déjà vu.
Writers Theatre previously produced Russell Lees' acclaimed two-man 1994 play during the bitterly contested 2000 election year. Reviving it with its same compelling cast from eight years ago is a welcome treat.
Back again is Michael Halberstam directing Larry Yando as the perpetually agitated and grimacing President Richard M. Nixon, as is William Brown as Secretary of State Henry Kissinger ( a role that won him a Joseph Jefferson acting award ) .
Lees' premise for the play is simple: Guessing what might have happened in the Lincoln Sitting Room of the White House on Aug. 7, 1974, the eve of Nixon's resignation. No one really knows, but Lees builds an engrossing comedy and drama that looks back at Nixon's many accomplishments and failings.
To be clear, Nixon's Nixon isn't a realist drama. The instant Yando's Nixon breaks into an accent imitating Russian president Leonid Brezhnev and goads Kissinger to play along, you're made aware that you're watching skilled actors portraying politicians.
Yet, these tactics in Lees' play spruces up the drama by allowing other world leaders into the mix ( albeit in a contrived fashion ) and allows audiences who lived through Nixon's administration relive the tumultuous times.
All the name-dropping, assuming audiences will understand, might be a bit too brazen on Lees part, especially for those who weren't around when Watergate happened ( I plead guilty ) . Yet Lees' writing still weaves the history together to show how the issues of diplomacy in Nixon's day are still reverberating now.
Watching Yando's Nixon is at times frightening. With his angry scowl and his forehead wrinkles that look sharp enough to draw blood, Yando's Nixon is like a caged animal lashing out at having his power ripped out from under him. Yet Yando also brings humility to the role amid the alcoholic haze and his demands to know how history will ultimately regard him.
In response, Brown's Kissinger is in many ways a lion tamer, trying to avoid his boss' fury while diplomatically steering him in the inevitable direction of resignation. It's a largely understated turn by Brown that also has its own flashy and comic moments.
These passionate performances overspill Writers' tiny stage, which is a credit to Halberstam who directs his cast compellingly in these oversize and iconic roles.
Writers' strong production of Nixon's Nixon underlines the importance of participating in the upcoming election. From the wall of presidential portraits in the background to the actors' responses when they consider the body count of dead under Nixon's administration, Nixon's Nixon reminds us that we all have our own parts to play in determining America's destiny.