Follow Us
Drama Around the Globe
  • Home
  • About
  • Maerten van Heemskerck
  • Contact
  • Articles
  • Books
    • Academic >
      • Barrymore Handbook
      • Distortions
      • Germans in English Short Stories
      • How to develop professionalism among student writers
      • Literary Exile in the Twentieth Century >
        • Stefan Heym
        • Hans Henny Jahnn
        • Hermann Kesten
        • Else Lasker-Schüler
        • Heinrich Mann
        • Stefan Zweig
      • Writer Perception, Writer Projection
      • Wuppertal- Bethel Exchange Program
    • Creative >
      • Iran, Iran: Secret Poetry--an introduction
      • Iran, Iran: Secret Poetry samples
      • Who's Afraid of Noam Chomsky?
      • WriteWriteRewrite
      • Workbook Poetry
      • Kreative Schocks, Creative Shocks
    • Educational >
      • Aristotle's Word Processor
  • Drama
    • Plays >
      • A Doll's Confession
      • Alan Lost in Boston
      • "Beat me, Beat me!"
      • Canterbury Tales
      • Encounters
      • Happy Shalom
      • Mah Own Constitution
      • Mendelssohn Does Not Live Here Anymore
      • Metronome Ticking
      • Private Moments
      • Rent-controlled Apartment in the Village
      • The Americans are Coming
      • The Astrologer
      • The Funeral: A comedy
      • The Girl on the Other Side of the Fence
      • The Rehearsal
      • Van Gogh's Jewish Daughter
      • Victorian Holiday
      • Vow of Silence
    • Rescued Jewish Theater
    • Videos
  • Essays
    • Education Essays >
      • How to develop professionalism
    • Language Essays >
      • Language
    • Literature Essays >
      • Literature
  • Film
    • Private Moments
    • The Americans are Coming
    • Victorian Holiday
  • German
    • Artikel
    • Biographie
    • Bücher
    • Gedichte
    • Geschichten
    • Schauspiele
  • Interviews
  • Poetry
    • Poem Blog
    • America
    • Friends
    • Humor
    • Passion
    • Tributes
    • War Zones
  • Reviews
  • Satires
    • Satire Blog
  • Stories
    • Stories Blog
    • Stories: Europe
    • Black Shoe Polish
    • Santa Claus on an Overcrowded Train
    • Stories: America
    • A stained-glass window that no longer allows light to come through
    • Free Italian chandelier
    • Old Tibetan carpet dealer visiting the U.S.
    • Stories: Asia
  • Translations
    • Translations: Dramas >
      • La Ronde, Henrik Eger translation
    • Translations: Stories >
      • The Message of the Christmas Night
      • Spoerl, Waiting. Warten.
  • Translations: Misc.
  • Workshops
  • Individual Reviews
  • Editor's Desk

Talking to the Roosevelts: Interview with Eleanor, Franklin, and Sara from the cast of ELEANOR at Media Theatre

2/6/2020

0 Comments

 
​By Henrik Eger
Picture
Maxwell Porterfield as Eleanor with four children. Photo by Maura Boruchow McConnell.
Eleanor – An American Love Story runs January 29-February 23, 2020, at the Media Theatre. A little-known musical, Eleanor (music by Thomas Tierney, lyrics by John Forster,  book by Jonathon Bolt) has been a favorite at regional theaters since the first production was staged in 1987 in Seattle, WA. The musical is based on the early lives of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, from their passionate courtship, through their complicated marriage with a domineering mother-in-law, to Eleanor’s emerging role as a catalyst for social change in America.

In Media, Eleanor is played by Maxwell Porterfield, Franklin is played by Patrick Ludt,  and Sara Roosevelt (FDR’s mother) is played by actress Susan Wefel (see below for historical biographies). Henrik Eger spoke to the actors about their roles and the real-life characters behind them.
​
[Media Theatre, 104 E. State Street, Media, PA] January 29-February 23, 2020; mediatheatre.org
Picture
Patrick Ludt & Maxwell Porterfield as Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt in a 1936 Ford Phaeton, parked at the Media Theatre.
Photo by Patricia Cofiell.

Henrik Eger: What did you learn about your character that you did not know until the Media Theatre offered you the job? 

Eleanor Roosevelt (portrayed by Maxwell Porterfield): I didn’t know that Eleanor was reluctant to be a public figure and for her husband to go all the way to the presidency. Not that I expected her to have planned to be First Lady, but rather, I thought that someone who made such a large impact over her lifetime would’ve felt more in her element. Eleanor always wanted to help people, but in her early years, she was very shy and lacking in confidence. Her life is an example that people are not limited to their current circumstances or abilities. 

Franklin D. Roosevelt (portrayed by Patrick Ludt): I learned a lot about the early FDR years that you don’t hear much about in school, including his run for State Senate of New York and his time as Assistant Secretary to the Navy in the Wilson administration.

Sara Delano Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s mother (portrayed by Susan Wefel): I learned that FDR’s mother was very controlling, and FDR appeared as a bit of a momma’s boy.
Eger: What are your two favorite scenes involving your character and why? ​

Porterfield as Eleanor Roosevelt: One of my favorite scenes is when Eleanor realizes what her interests and life’s work are. I think this is an important realization for every person, but in this case it was the start of a life which made an enormous impact on the world. Another scene poignantly shows how Eleanor chooses to give up the life she wants to serve the greater good. 

Ludt as Franklin Roosevelt: I enjoy the scene where Eleanor and Franklin tell his mother they intend to get married. I think it’s quite funny. Next would be the speech that I recite during one of Eleanor’s songs in the second act, “He Touches Me.” I find the words moving.
​

Wefel as Sara Delano Roosevelt: Favorite scenes for me are Act 1, Scene 5, the wedding night, when Momma leaves her bedroom at Springwood to visit Franklin and Eleanor for a week and tells them about her newly-constructed plans for a double townhouse in NYC with “connecting floors” so that she can always be with them when they need her. Also, Momma’s lecture to Eleanor about “serving one’s husband first” from Act 1, Scene 7. Poor Eleanor didn’t have a chance! Or did she?  ​
Picture
Maxwell Porterfield
Eger: Share your favorite quotes from your Roosevelt character and the effect they had on you. 

Porterfield as Eleanor Roosevelt: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” This is one that I have known from an early age. It made quite the impact on me, because we live in a world where people try to tell you who you are and label you. Although we can’t control what others say, this quote reminds us that we can choose which voices we listen to.
Picture
Patrick Ludt
Ludt as Franklin Roosevelt: “For it is not to our glory that we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide for those who have too little.”

​I love this quote, which eloquently states that people matter more than money. It compares helping the needy versus increasing the wealth of the rich—posing the question, which is more glorious?
​

“I have no control over her, Mother; she’s only my wife.” This comes at a moment when Eleanor stands up to Franklin’s mother, Sara, who is telling Franklin to make Eleanor stop. I just think it’s such a clever little answer that shows FDR’s wit and understanding of how, just because they’re married, doesn’t mean he can tell her what to do.
Wefel as Sara Delano Roosevelt: Favorite line—“Franklin, you can’t be a politician; you’re a gentleman!”

Eger: As life goes by faster than many people realize, what would you like the next generation of theatergoers to know about this musical that connects Americans to history? 

Porterfield as Eleanor Roosevelt: Life is so much more than comfort or getting what we want. Eleanor decided to live outside her comfort zone. She was faced with many difficult decisions, and she chose the path that was often the most difficult. These are the kinds of decisions that one has to make in order to live a remarkable life.
Picture
Susan Wefel
Ludt as Franklin Roosevelt: This musical provides a good, relatable glimpse into the early lives of Eleanor and FDR. It includes their conflicts in their marriage and shows the early history of their political rise.

​Most importantly, it demonstrates how Eleanor influenced FDR and how she gained her own political voice over the years.


Wefel as Sara Delano Roosevelt: What I learned from working on the show was that these Roosevelts were real American Royalty. As a result, I gained an appreciation for their hard work on our country’s behalf.
​

Eger: Many thanks to all the Roosevelts!
[Media Theatre, 104 E. State Street, Media, PA] January 29-February 23, 2020; mediatheatre.org​
Picture
Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt promotes the Victory Bond in Times Square. courtesy of History101.
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (Oct. 11, 1884 – Nov. 7, 1962), an American political figure, diplomat and activist, acted as the First Lady of the United States from Mar. 4, 1933, to Apr. 12, 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four terms in office, making her the longest-serving First Lady of the United States. She served as the US Delegate to the United Nations General Assembly from 1945 to 1952. President Harry S. Truman, FDR’s Vice President, later called her the “First Lady of the World” in tribute to her human rights achievements. Watch an historical interview with her from 1958 which shows us in beautiful ways how Eleanor saw life at the White House.
Picture
This photo is one of only two that show Franklin D. Roosevelt in his wheelchair. Photo by Margaret Suckley, courtesy of History101.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Jan. 30, 1882 – Apr. 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death. A member of the Democratic Party, he won a record four presidential elections and directed the federal government during most of the Great Depression, implementing his New Deal domestic agenda in response to the worst economic crisis in U.S. history. His third and fourth terms were dominated by World War II. He is rated by scholars as one of the three greatest U.S. presidents, along with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, but has also been subject to substantial criticism. 

Sara Ann Delano Roosevelt (Sept. 21, 1854 – Sept. 7, 1941) was the second wife of James Roosevelt I and the mother of President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt, her only child, and subsequently the mother-in-law of Eleanor Roosevelt. 

(All three bios adapted from Wikipedia.)
Picture
Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Eleanor. She holds Franklin's glass, and he holds her knitting.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Presidential Library.

The cast of the Media Theatre’s production of Eleanor, An American Love Story--book by Jonathon Bolt, lyrics by John Forster, music by Thomas Tierney, and directed by Jesse Cline—also includes the following talented actors: Roger Ricker as Louis Howe, Hannah Parke as Alice Roosevelt, Kelly Briggs as Theodore Roosevelt and Al Smith, Chelsea Aubert as Lucy Mercer, Lila Bea Hannon and Lily Jo Shelkin as Young Eleanor and Young Anna, Elliott Boldin and Preston Newton as Young James and Hester, Zachary Amos and Tyler Motlasz as Teen James, Lulu Spinelli and Chloe Tomaszweski as Maria, Sutton Gold and Reese Masiello as Spike, and Greyson Heneks and Zoe Nesbitt as Pepini.
This interview was originally published by Phindie on February 6, 2020. 
Back to EDITOR'S DESK
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Archives

    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    September 2013
    June 2011
    January 2011
    November 2009
    July 2008
    June 2008
    January 2002
    January 1992

    RSS Feed

​Click below for a translation into your own language 
from Afrikaans, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, and  Azerbaijani to Vietnamese, Welsh, Xhosa, Yiddish, Yoruba, and  Zulu—​thanks to the latest version of Google Translate.
Picture
Tower Of Babel
by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1563).
Click here to contact the Editor
Copyright Henrik Eger, 2014-2020.
Update: December 30, 2020.
All images are credited to the best of our knowledge. We believe known sources should  be shown and great work promoted. If there is a problem with the rights to any image, please contact us, and we will check it right away. 
​