Nixon in China

About the show

During Richard Nixon’s 1972 visit to China, Nixon, Pat Nixon, Henry Kissinger, Mao Zedong, Jiang Qing, and Zhou Enlai encounter one another in public ceremonies and private conversations. Nixon and Chou Enlai exchange toasts; Pat tours Beijing and watches a revolutionary ballet, which Jiang Qing interrupts to assert her role in the Cultural Revolution. In the final act, the principals reflect on their histories and choices, while Chou Enlai questions what their actions have accomplished.