review with these words: .
_ "The funniest, toughest-minded, and most ingenious political satire I've read in years is Barbara Garson's MacBird. A veteran of the Berkeley student wars, Miss Garson has had the excellent and obvious notion -- obvious after she did it -- of savaging our political Establishment with a burlesque Macbeth, all in Elizabethan blank verse at times -- and enriched by tags from other Shakespeare plays skewed to suit her purpose. It works surprisingly well, whether as sharply pointed satire or as sheer -- or if you prefer, mere -- high-spirited low-comedy fooling around; most commonly, as a peculiar mixture of both. That Shakespeare is Universal is well known, but, to Garsonize Lady Macbeth: Who would have thought the old bard had so much blood in him?
"The stars are Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson as the MacBirds and the three Kennedy brothers as the Ken-O'-Duncs. The supporting cast includes the Earl of Warren, Lord MacNamara, the Wayne of Morse, and -- her finest inspiration ~- the late Adlai Stevenson as the Egg of Head."
Later on Macdonald says of the play:
"Miss Garson clearly knows her way around the political scene, and she wastes no time in establishing the characteristics of the opposing chieftains: the amoral, calculating efficiency of the Ken-O'-Duncs is contrasted to that MacBird look, so familiar to us all by now: 'fat, yet hungry'. She has plenty to say about our Establishment, all of it uncomplimentary, and says it in a headlong style, full of verve and humor -- a kind of genial ferocity. At $1.00 her burlesque is the entertainment bargain of the year.
"The most disturbing and 'controversial' aspect of MacBird is that the eponymous villain murders John Ken-O'-Dunc just as Macbeth murders Duncan."
The December issue of Ramparts magazine carries extensive excerpts from the first half of MacBird. The play is scheduled to open shortly in an off-Broadway production in New York under the direction of Roy Levine.
Here is a sample scene from MacBird -- a press conference immediately after MacBird takes office:
Reporter: Your majesty, how do you view our future?
MacBird: I'm glad you asked that, Bob--I have a dream. We have an opportunity to move Not only toward the rich society, But upwards toward the Smooth Society. My Smooth Society has room for all; For each, a house, a car, a family, A private psychoanalyst, a dog, And rows of gardens, neatly trimmed and hedged.
This land will be a garden carefully pruned. We'll lop off any branch that looks too tall,
That seems to grow too lofty or too fast. And any weed that springs up on our soil,
To choke the plants I've neatly set in rows,
Gets plucked up root and all, by me, MacBird -- And this I do for you, my wholesome flowers.
I see a garden blooming undisturbed Where all the buds are even in their rows. An ordered garden, sweet with unity,
That is my dream; my Smooth Society. -
(Applause from reporters which finally dies down)
I thank you gentlemen. Next question, please.
Reporter: Your majesty, how do you plan to deal With rebel groups which thrive in Viet Land?
MacBird: What rebel groups? Where is this Viet Land? Who gave them folks permission to rebel?
Lord MacNamara, valiant chief of war, What is this place I've just been asked about?
MacNamara: It's way off to the East, eight thousand miles. A little land we're trying to subdue.
MacBird: What crap is this 'we're trying to subdue'?
Since when do we permit an open challenge
To all the world's security and peace? Rip out those Reds! Destroy them, root and branch!
Deploy whatever force you think we need!
Eradicate this noxious, spreading weed!
MacNamara: Your word is my command. Your will is done.
That land will be subdued ere set of sun.
MAO