Ike is irked. The 34th President of the United States, Dwight (aka “Ike) D. Eisenhower, just got his hands on a copy of a New York Times Magazine article: “Our Presidents: A Rating By 75 Historians. Great, Near Great, Average, Below Average, and Failure’!” His rating: 22.
It’s 1962 and he’s home alone in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania where he plans to set the record straight to Kevin C. McCann, a former colleague and current editor to Eisenhower. The two are planning a new book, but after his dismal presidential rating, Ike is tentative about proceeding.
Like the good military man he is, he soldiers on, using a tape recorder and microphone. “I’ve been recording everything I can remember, so you can transcribe it–talking to myself like a senile old man. I just don’t think anybody’s going to give a damn,” he tells McCann during a phone call.
On the contrary, people did give a damn then—and they should now. Over the course of the near two-hour solo show, Einsenhower: This Piece of Ground, multiple award winner actor John Rubinstein embodies the former President and creates a beautiful portrait of a man who explains not only what it was like to be the leader of the free world, but also what it meant to be an upright, decent human being who did the best he could to make right choices.
Playwright Richard Hellensen notes that the work is one of fiction, but he has collected various memoirs, speeches, and letters from archives and Eisenhower’s family. Act 1 takes us through his humble childhood in Denison, Texas (in later years, Abilene, Kansas), all the way through his military career.
Act II explores his presidency; ending the Korean war, getting the Interstate highway system built, strengthening the United States alliance with Europe and helping to bring an end to McCarthyism (even if he did sign an executive order for the federal government to fire suspected LGBT employees), and other accomplishments and failures.
Eisenhower is acutely aware of the power his position holds. “Make the right choice, soldiers live. Children learn. Maybe poverty and disease and ignorance start to disappear. Make the wrong one…”
Rubinstein’s portrayal is nothing short of marvelous. His Einsenhower is measured, charming, and thoughtful and he avoids the stereotypical “Southern good ‘ole boy” depiction of politicians that less skilled actors often employ.
Hellensen’s script not only gives us a lens into the Presidency, but it gives us hope for our current democracy. Like any President, Eisenhower inherited a slew of problems and was tasked to correct the missteps of his predecessor. Still, we leave the play with his aspiration “If we’re going to leave our young people something better, then we just can’t be complacent. It’s going to have to be the nation we’re serving, not just ourselves.”
Michael Deegan’s elaborately detailed and warm set makes audiences feel as though they were actually sitting with Eisenhower in his Gettysburg farmhouse. Joe Huppert‘s subtle projections provide specific images of the memories and people mentioned, grounding the piece in deeper truth.
Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground is an ideal choice for those seeking respite from the glitz and glam currently playing on the Main Stem. There is plenty of purpose and room for that, too. But for a quiet and reflective alternative, You’ll Like Ike.
Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground is now playing Off-Broadway through July 30th at the Theatre at St. Clements. 423 W. 46th Street between 9th and 10th. For tickets and information, click here.