Best of Enemies

It’s the summer of 1968, a volatile time in American history. Amid mass protests and the rise of a counterculture rebelling against the status quo, the Democratic and Republican parties hold their conventions to nominate their Presidential candidates. It’s also a pivotal moment at ABC News, which is third in ratings among the four major networks. Desperate for an innovative approach to the relatively new medium of television, the network’s top brass devise a series of debates between rival public intellectuals: liberal Gore Vidal and conservative William F. Buckley. The debates ultimately devolve into ugly personal attacks but mark a turning point in the intersection of television and politics. Based on the documentary of the same name, Best of Enemies is a gripping piece of verbatim theatre that goes behind the scenes and behind the men to ask timely questions about civil discourse and the political divide. With fluid staging, the play is backed by a flexible ensemble playing several real-life characters.