Matthew Weiner on His Play About John Wilkes Booth and Modern US Parallels

The Genesis of a Play About John Wilkes Booth

• 🎭 Matthew Weiner, creator of "Mad Men," has written a new play focusing on John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Abraham Lincoln.
• 💡 The play aims to explore why people do terrible things, using Booth as a central figure.
• 🎯 Weiner was drawn to Booth's narcissism and his desire for fame, noting that Booth idolized figures like John Brown.

Booth's Motivation and Historical Context

• ⚡ Booth, an actor, assassinated Lincoln in a theater, a place he once aspired to be celebrated in.
• 💰 He was disgruntled by the reward money offered for his arrest, expecting to be a hero rather than a fugitive.
• ⚠️ Despite the Union's victory and the war's prolonged duration, Booth remained defiant, believing people would rally behind him.

Parallels to Contemporary America

• 🇺🇸 Weiner highlights that the arguments and societal divisions depicted in the play, such as North vs. South, rich vs. poor, and white vs. Black, resonate strongly with current issues in the United States.
• 📈 The play suggests that the Civil War's divisions are not entirely over, with past conflicts serving as prologue to present-day tensions.
• 🗣️ Weiner points out that historical movements like the "Know Nothings" in the 1840s, which targeted immigrants, liberals, and women, share similarities with contemporary political discourse.

Understanding Terrible Actions

• 🧠 The play delves into the reasons behind terrible actions, exploring whether individuals are inherently terrible or simply normal people who commit terrible deeds.
• 🎭 Weiner's approach is to humanize characters, seeking the underlying reasons for their actions, even while acknowledging their terribleness.
• 📌 The core message suggests that feelings of displacement and a desire to be seen can contribute to extreme actions, though violence is not presented as an excuse.

"Mad Men" and Timeless Themes

• 📺 Weiner reflects on the enduring appeal of "Mad Men," attributing its timelessness to its focus on human-scale stories and relatable characters, despite being a period piece.
• 🌟 The show's success is also credited to its incredible cast and its ability to be quoted and watched years after its debut.