By Marilyn Lester***Ah, the idyllic 1950s, the Cold War era of larger-than-life Statesmen (Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, Nehru, Konrad Adenauer come to mind) when the big existential crisis on the table was Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and the atom bomb. In the US, the most powerful nation on Earth, steering the ship of state was the 34th President, Dwight David Eisenhower, aka “Ike.” But as the curtain rises on Eisenh
ower: This Piece of Ground, it’s 1962 and the President is in retirement at his Gettysburg, Pennsylvania farm. It’s from this launching pad that Tony Award winner John Rubinstein as Eisenhower ably prosecutes the case for the man’s greatness.
Playwright Richard Hellesen has written a very fine, literate piece, giving Rubenstein a solid platform for his penetrating performance as the 71-year-old Eisenhower. The foundational conceit of the play is an actual story printed in the July 29, 1962 The New York Times Magazine, by-lined by the eminent historian and author Arthur Schlesinger, and entitled “Our Presidents: A Rating by 75 Historians.” Eisenhower was low on the list, deemed “average” (interpreted by Hellesen as ranking 22). Propelled by this slight, Eisenhower, who’s writing a memoir, is compelled to review his life and accomplishments from his childhood in Kansas to West Point and his military career to a post-war stint as President of Columbia University to the Oval Office.
Now age-appropriate, Rubenstein has found a niche for a compelling performance in this solo biographical drama. As Ike dictates his memories into a tape recorder, there’s much to admire in his interpretation of the man
. Approximating Eisenhower’s Midwestern speech patterns, the actor is respectful of the material he’s tasked to perform, bringing forward the character’s pride of accomplishment in his life’s work. In fact, a great deal of this well-researched play is taken from Eisenhower himself, in his own words in memoirs, speeches and letters.
There’s authenticity in the sense of restraint and moderation that characterized the public Eisenhower, sustained over two acts that move more or less linearly through Ike’s life. This view of Eisenhower is summed up at play’s end, when finishing his taping session, he says, “As for your list…I don’t know. Maybe I’ll look better in time. Maybe I’ll look a hell of a lot worse. All I know is: peace, more or less. Prosperity, more or less. If that makes me number twenty-two, or thirty-two, or a hundred-and-two someday, well…so be it. As lo
ng as some more truly great ones come along.” And as we find out through a projection, today, historians consider him a great president, now number five in the rankings of 45.
By that finale of Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground, patriotic juices do flow liberally, but how much richer the play could have been as less a litany of unbridled iconic greatness and more a deeper dive into Eisehower the total human being. Although the play does touch on a few self-admitted failings, such as Eisenhower taking responsibility for the death of his firstborn, Doud, from scarlet fever, and failing to take stronger action about the Communist-hunting Senator, Joseph McCarthy, plus the scandal that arose from the Soviet downing of a US spy plane and the capture of its pilot, Francis Gary Powers, less reverence and more emotional depth—addressing his alleged wartime affair with Kate Summersby, for instance—would have given Rubenstein more opportunity to enter his characterization with more to grab onto. Likewise, although the “number 22!” outrage was deployed as a running gag, more humor throughout would have elevated the play from homage to effective drama.
Director Peter Ellenstein does a terrific job of
pacing and imbuing the proceeding with naturalistic movement. Coupled with Rubenstein’s graceful portrayal, these skill levels help tremendously when some of the narrative in act one teeters into the preachy. Ellenstein also well utilizes the homey set, Ike’s study at the farm, designed by Michael Deegan, filled with smart touches including a set of golf clubs casually leaning against a wall.
Projections of historical photographs by sound designer Joe Huppert illustrate the Eisenhower narrative, briefly superimposing the images on a window view projection of the farm’s vista. It’s a double-edged sword: both an enhancement to the biography but also a distraction to the dramatic flow. Esquire Jauchem’s lighting design subtly enhances the play’s action throughout.
Could Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground have been more? Yes, but it is also enough. Given the chaotic times we inhabit, where so many of the advances we thought we’d made are being backpedaled, there’s relevance for today. Above all, the defining take-away of the power of Hellesen’s text and Rubenstein’s execution of it is a reminder of the possibilities of the strength of character so embodied in Eisenhower: integrity, moral courage, intelligence, ethics and more. Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground is a tonic.
Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground runs through Sunday, July 30 at Theatre St. Clements 423 W. 46th Street, NYC). performances are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Monday at 7 PM; Saturday at 8PM; with matinees Sunday at 3 PM and Monday at 2 PM. Visit OvationTix.com for tickets.
Photos by Maria Baranova
