Stepinac's Acclaimed Drama Club Stages Riveting Production of "All the Way"

Archbishop Stepinac High School’s acclaimed Drama Club recently presented the regional premiere of All the Way, the Tony Award-winning play and equally praised HBO film about President Lyndon B. Johnson’s masterful maneuvering to enact the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Three performances of the production were staged at the school’s Major Bowes Auditorium. A cast of more than 30 students performed the historic figures of President Johnson, Senators Hubert Humphrey, Richard Russell, Everett Dirksen and Mike Mansfield; FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover; Governor George Wallace; Lady Bird Johnson; Coretta Scott King, among others. The male roles were undertaken by students from the all-boys Stepinac while the female roles were performed by students from area all-girls and co-ed high schools.

Stepinac seniors Nick Tabio of Yonkers and Dominique Burke of Mt. Vernon, respectively, portrayed the male lead and second lead roles of President Johnson and Dr. King.

Written by Robert Schenkkan, All the Way begins shortly after Johnson became President following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963 and continues through Johnson’s landslide election a year later. His campaign slogan was “All the Way with LBJ.” The play chronicles how Johnson maneuvered members of Congress, especially a recalcitrant South from which he hailed, and civil rights leaders to support, the landmark legislation that President Kennedy had proposed.

Frank Portanova, Director and Vice Principal for Academics and Curriculum, noted: “All the Way is one of the best examples of vividly bringing to life on the stage an historical event, in this case a milestone in advancing the cause of civil rights, a proud chapter in our country’s history.”

Since 1949, the Stepinac’s Drama Club has won critical acclaim including international recognition for its productions of fall dramas and spring musicals. The productions have nurtured the talents of so many young men at Stepinac. Some went on to greater fame as professional actors including Academy Award winner Jon Voight and Emmy-Award winner Alan Alda.

Founded in 1948, Archbishop Stepinac High School’s mission is to offer young men a highly competitive academic and extracurricular program that will prepare them for college and leadership roles. The faculty and staff accomplish these objectives by pursuing excellence and creating a supportive, disciplined atmosphere with a strong sense of camaraderie and Christian values that are unique to the Stepinac experience. For more information on Stepinac High School please visit www.stepinac.org