Editing MacBird! (section)

== Productions ==
The play, which opened just three years after Kennedy's assassination, was controversial. Some believe that authorities pressured theaters in [[New York City]] against producing the play. [[The Village Gate]] was the only theater willing to defy this pressure. ''Macbird!'' opened there on February 22, 1967, and closed on January 21, 1968, after 386 performances.

Levine, who worked with Garson to develop the sketch to a full-length play, was the original director of ''Macbird!'' His bold theatrical vision marked the production throughout the run; near the end of the previews, however, he was replaced by [[Gerald Freedman]]. Set design was by Clarke Dunham, costumes were by Jeanne Button, and lights were by Robert Brand.  [[Joel Zwick]] was the [[stage manager]].

The original cast included:

:[[Stacy Keach]] as MacBird
:[[Rue McClanahan]] as Lady MacBird<ref name="dmartinnyt">[https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/04/arts/04mcclanahan.html?ref=obituaries Martin, Douglas. "Rue McClanahan, Actress and Golden Girl, Dies at 76," ''The New York Times'', Friday, June 4, 2010.]</ref>
:[[Paul Hecht]] as John Ken O'Dunc
:[[William Devane]] as Robert Ken O'Dunc
:[[John Pleshette]] as Ted Ken O'Dunc
:[[John Clark (English actor)|John Clark]] as Earl of Warren
:[[Cleavon Little]] as Witch 2
:[[David Spielberg]] as Crony

The original cast recorded a two-disc album of the script on February 6, 1967. The album was released in a [[box set]], along with a copy of the script, on the Evergreen label (Evergreen - EVR 004).

John Clark left the production early to marry [[Lynn Redgrave]]. [[Cleavon Little]] made his professional acting debut in the play. The play had a long engagement, with a different cast in [[Los Angeles]], where Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated on June 5, 1968 while running for the Democratic presidential nomination. ''MacBird!'' was also produced at the Committee Theater in [[San Francisco]] around 1968.