The Best Man
The Democratic and Republican National Conventions may not be taking place until this summer, but there is a ton of back room politicking taking place right now at the Schoenfeld Theatre, and this former political operative and eternal The West Wing acolyte loves it! Gore Vidal’s The Best Man , directed by Michael Wilson, takes place at a presidential nominating convention in Philadelphia in 1960. (Note that this is some space-time continuum parallel 1960, in which, similar to The West Wing , some actual history is part of the play’s characters’ history, but a split from reality is made with regard to recent history. This is not meant to depict JFK’s nomination, for example.) When you walk into the Schoenfeld, you’re actually walking into the convention hall. Scenic designer Derek McLane has adorned the walls – even up in the mezzanine – with state placards (New York; Vermont; Mississippi), which, in a real convention, would delineate the states’ delegations. Retro televisio...
