The world premiere of a story that’s been told seemingly the world over takes place on Bainbridge tonight.
Beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Bainbridge Performing Arts (200 Madison Ave.), self-professed idea entrepreneur and public speaker Christie Jenkins, daughter of the famed Dr. M.T. “Pepper” Jenkins, will be hashing out the grim and intriguing details of the JFK assassination — from inside the operating room.
Jenkins’ father was the Chief of Anesthesiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and Parkland Hospital from 1948 to 1981. He led the team that tried to resuscitate President Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963 and later worked on both Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby.
Though Christie Jenkins said Dr. Jenkins was typically reserved and reluctant to tell the story of the incident during his lifetime, she has taken the facts, study from his notes and family history and paired it with music, large screen video and photo stills to create this live documentary entitled “Kennedy/Parkland/Doctors/Daughter.”
Tickets are $18 adults/$14 students and available exclusively at the door through BPA.
“It astonishes me that anyone is interested in this at all,” Jenkins said. “In my perspective, this has been something — this story and the facts of that weekend — in my life since I was a little a girl.”
Chances are, in that regard, she is largely alone.
That infamous weekend has been one of the most controversial events in 20th century American history. Kennedy, the youngest elected President, murdered (according to the Warren Commission) three years into his first term by an awkward and volatile dishonorably discharged Marine named Oswald who renounced his American citizenship and attempted to defec to the Soviet Union.
Two days after his arrest, Oswald was shot dead in the basement of the Dallas Police Station by a local night club owner Jack Ruby.
The Warren Commision — the President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy initiated by Lyndon Johnson following Oswald’s death — determined that Oswald had acted alone in the assassination.
However, its testimony has been repeatedly and vehemently challenged and deemed extremely controversial, sparking multiple conspiracy theories.
“Everyone always wants to know about the conspiracy and I do touch on that, because there were things done right by the secret service and there were things done wrong,” Jenkins said. “(The live documentary) is very moment to moment taking them through the recreation of that time and also sharing with (the audience) information which they have never heard before.”
Though she wouldn’t give away many details as to what angles her documentary will take on the story that’s been analyzed and publicized by numerous commissions, books and articles, she did say that the “heart of the show” beats with “heart-wrenching moments, events and exchanges with Ms. Kennedy,” from inside the operating room.
With about half of the story focused on the Kennedy’s, it will also touch on Oswald, Jenkins’ family memories and briefly on Ruby.
An on-stage question-and-answer session will follow the production with a dessert reception to close the evening.
“If you are interested you’ll be fascinated, if you don’t care, you won’t,” Jenkins said. “It’s very individual … I assume that no one under the age of 50 will be interested.”
Still, Jenkins is hoping to bill the live documentary on stages nationwide, utilizing this first round of performances throughout Washington — including Bainbridge (June 13), Bremerton (June 28) Tacoma (June 16) and Spokane (June 26) — will be the trial run, she said.
For more information on the documentary, performances or the producer, visit her Web site at www.christiejenkins.com.
