Barter Theatre Set For Curfman Hall Thursday, November 8th
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The Alleghany Highlands Arts Council will present the Barter Theatre production Looking Over the President's Shoulder Thursday evening Nov. 8 at 7:30 pm at Curfman Hall in Covington High School.
The one-man play chronicles the true story of Alonzo Fields who served as chief butler at the White House from 1931 until 1952, attending to Presidents Hoover, Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower.
Based on the real-life story of the grandson of a freed slave who grew up in an all-black town in southern Indiana, Fields is forced by the Depression to give up his dreams of becoming an opera singer and accept the job at the White House where he quickly was appointed Chief Butler.
World leaders orchestrated history as he poured their coffee. Early on he began to keep a diary which is the basis for the play by James Sill. Famous guests through the years included Winston Churchhill, Marian Anderson, Errol Flynn and the king and queen of England. As Fields says in the play: “It was like being in the front row and watching the passing parade of history…â€
Set on the eve of his last day on the job, Fields reflects on his 21 years of service to his country with humor and pride. His recollection of the personalities of each of the presidents, as well as their families, gleans a rare perspective into each administration.
Jasper McGruder gives a stellar performance in the role of Fields. McGruder is a New York-based performer and director who has performed around the world, in film and theater, both on and off Broadway, and hosted a radio show. He started performing and directing productions in New York City during the mid-1970s. He taught acting and playwriting for several organizations, including The Young Playwrights Festival. In the 1980s he toured England and Scotland with acting companies that he formed for The American Folk Theatre. His previous Barter appearances have included roles in Doug Pote's musical Jimmie Rodgers: America's Blue Yodeler, as well as Driving Miss Daisy; To Kill a Mockingbird; The Full Monty; Of Mice and Men; Little Shop of Horrors; and Frankenstein; and he directed the Barter premiere of Where Trouble Sleeps. Mr. McGruder will be returning to Abingdon after the Covington engagement to perform a leading role in The Sunset Limited.
"Timing is everything," stated Arts Council Executive Director Tammy Scruggs-Duncan. "This is a show that we have been trying to get in front of our patrons since 2002. The play begins during the Great Depression when times were hard and jobs were scarce. It's not fiction. One man's recounting of America's progress through two decades is given through the eyes of an observer standing at the pinnacle of world events. How could the subject be more relative than the same week as this presidential election? We feel very fortunate to be able to bring this outstanding piece of theatre to our community at this particular time in history"
The public performance of Looking Over the President's Shoulder, as well as two in-school high school performances are made possible by a grant from the Alleghany Foundation with additional support from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the City of Covington, County of Alleghany and the Town of Clifton Forge. Corporate Co-cosponsors for the show are Alleghany Motors and Sankar Enterprises.
Tickets are $13 adults and $8 students. Special group rates are available for groups of 10 or more. For more information call the Arts Council at 962-6220. | | | | | |
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