The Tug of War

The judgment of an untested president is all that stands between us and WWIII. As Soviet nuclear missiles move ever closer to Cuba, President John F. Kennedy must chart a course between conflicting counsel and unparalleled emotional stakes to prevent nuclear annihilation. The newly-minted U.S. President is put to the ultimate test in this riveting original commission from playwright David Rambo (Empire, C.S.I.)

Includes panel discussions about the Cuban Missile Crisis with playwright David Rambo; Bob Stern, the past president of the LA-based Center on Governmental Studies; Richard Anderson, a Professor of Political Science at UCLA and former CIA analyst; and Geoff Cowan, a University Professor at USC.

Recorded before an audience at UCLA's James Bridges Theater in May 2017.

Directed by Brian Kite
Producing Director Susan Albert Loewenberg
Matthew Arkin as Llewellyn Thompson, First Reporter
Hugo Armstrong as Lyndon Johnson, Anatoly Dobrynin
Seamus Dever as Robert McNamara
Matthew Floyd Miller as Robert F. Kennedy
James Morrison as John McCone, TV Floor Manager
David Selby as Dean Rusk
Rich Sommer as McGeorge Bundy
Josh Stamberg as John F. Kennedy
Nick Toren as Ted Sorenson, Second Reporter, General Curtis LeMay
John Vickery as Nikita Khrushchev, General Taylor
Jules Willcox as Jackie Kennedy, Mrs. Lincoln, Third Reporter

Associate Artistic Director, Anna Lyse Erikson. Recording Engineer, Sound Designer, and Mixer, Mark Holden for The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood. Senior Radio Producer, Ronn Lipkin. Foley Artist, Aaron Lyons. Production Manager, Katie Friesen. Editor, Mitchell Lindskoog. Assistant to the Director, Michelle Gong. Historical Research, Nick Fanego.