Dick and Jack is a drama/comedy of five characters: Dick, Jack, Frank, Joe, and the White House Barber. The script explores an invigorating father-son dynamic through the relationships of Presidents John Kennedy and Richard Nixon with their fathers Joe and Frank. The action takes place prior to JFK’s election in 1960 while Nixon is Vice President and the two are still friends. A major theme of the script observes the contrasts between who we are and how we are perceived conflicting with our individual humanity and emerging political selves.
Dick is profoundly uncomfortable with how he looks and acts thus he relentlessly seeks ways to improve his public image. His father, Frank, on the other hand, accepts who the Nixons are but is frustrated with life and his inability to achieve the American dream.
Jack Kennedy carries the deadweight of a powerful father, Joe, who is deeply committed to designing his son’s life and choreographing the inherited qualities that the family cultivates.
The story travels brazenly through a series of precarious interactions between different pairings of sons and fathers. As we scrutinize these four unique lives with a caring but very sharp lens, we discover how their distinct personalities come unwittingly together in shaping America.
When a somewhat reluctant but dutiful JFK is elected President, Joe Kennedy steps up his efforts of replacing Frank Nixon as father to Dick. Confronted with this new challenge, Joe is inspired to “educate” his new son Dick- holding up the prospect of a future presidency.