Rob Reiner's New LBJ Film Opens At Jaffrey's River St Theatre

The last time film director Rob Reiner (When Harry Met Sally, This is Spinal Tap, A Few Good Men, Stand by Me) tackled the topic of the Presidency, it was fiction and a comedy (The American President). Now Reiner brings us a new insightful biography of Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th President of the United States. Woody Harrelson stars in LBJ, which plays at Jaffrey's River Street Theatre, Thursday through Sunday, December 28 to 31.

After powerful Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson (Harrelson) loses the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination to Senator John F. Kennedy (Jeffrey Donovan), he agrees to be his young rival's running mate. But once they win the election, despite his extensive legislative experience and shrewd political instincts, Johnson finds himself sidelined in the role of vice president. That all changes on November 22, 1963, when Kennedy is assassinated and Johnson, with his devoted wife Lady Bird (Jennifer Jason Leigh) by his side, is suddenly thrust into the presidency. As the nation mourns, Johnson must contend with longtime adversary Attorney General Bobby Kennedy (Michael Stahl-David) and one-time mentor Georgia Senator Richard Russell (Richard Jenkins) as he seeks to honor JFK's legacy by championing the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Showtimes for LBJ are Thursday, December, 28 through Saturday, December 30 at 7pm each day. Additionally, there are 2 matinees at 2pm: Saturday, December 30 and New Year's Eve Day.

Tickets for LBJ (rated R for language) are $8.00. Seniors, military, students, teachers are $7.00. More program and schedule information, as well as ticket purchases, can be found at riverst.org or by calling the RST Box Office (603) 532-8888. The after-hours box office can be reached by calling OvationTix at (866) 811-4111. The River Street Theatre is located in downtown Jaffrey, New Hampshire at 6 River Street. The River Street Theatre is sponsored by Grove Street Fiduciary, Coca-Cola, the Board of Trustees of the Park Theatre, Janet S. Grant, Betty Locke, Owen Houghton and the James F. & Fernande Kelly Charitable Trust.

The Park Theatre first opened in Jaffrey in 1922 and was the center of community life as a movie and vaudeville house for 54 years until it closed in 1976. Purchased by The Park Theatre, Inc. in 2006, it will be rebuilt as a state-of-the-art film and performing arts center, featuring two auditoriums seating 485, presenting movies, live theatre, including children's productions, concerts, and lectures as well as offering a place for business and community gatherings for the Monadnock Region and its 100,000 residents, school districts and dynamic artistic community. The new Park Theatre is scheduled to open in 2018.

The Park Theatre currently operates the River Street Theatre (RST), a small live entertainment and cinema venue, located adjacent to the construction site as an interim theatre until the new Park Theatre opens. Opened in January of 2017, the RST holds the title of "smallest theatre in New England."