Better Angels

Better Angels

At the Colony Theatre

Reviewed by Les Spindle

October 29, 2009

PHOTO CREDIT

Michael Lamont

A little-known slice of American history is interwoven with the creative imagination of playwright Wayne Peter Liebman in this colorful portrait of the 16th U.S. president, Abraham Lincoln. Liebman blends a series of documented events in 1863 with a dramatization of torturous decisions faced by the chief executive during his term of office, as the Civil War ravaged the nation. Director Dan Bonnell's intimate staging of this three-person play yields an entertaining view of our political heritage, offering resonant reflections on modern times.

The play's shifting time periods and multiple episodes are dovetailed with the aid of a narrator, Lincoln's former secretary John Hay (David Dean Bottrell), delivering a university lecture in 1909. We subsequently see this former secretary of state as the young and assertive presidential aide, as portions of the lecture segue to the dramatized scenes. The primary story, which takes place at the White House in October 1863, involves several meetings between Lincoln and Cordelia Harvey (McKerrin Kelly), the widow of a governor who died while attempting to aid wounded soldiers from the Union army. She relentlessly struggles to persuade Lincoln to create hospitals for wounded Federal soldiers in the North, concerned that they are dying en masse in the Southern hospitals, due to improper care. The initially edgy, then warm relationship that grows between Lincoln and his persistent visitor anchors episodes showing other incidents during the Lincoln presidency.

True to Liebman's stated intention, actor James Read doesn't resemble images we have seen in history books. His Lincoln appears to be youthful and spry, and he is depicted as playful and funny. At the same time, Read effectively conveys the man's self-doubts and serious convictions. It's a thoughtful and engaging portrayal, and it works well opposite Kelly's fine characterization as the forceful yet graceful widow Harvey. These actors create a credible interplay, dramatizing a historic exchange on which we can only speculate. Bottrell is also first-rate, equally convincing as the sage elder statesman and the ambitious and earnest youth forging a political career. The production is graced with simple and tasteful design elements, suiting the low-key charm of this sweet play, a refreshing change from self-important docudramas.

Presented by and at the Colony Theatre, 555 N. Third St., Burbank. Oct. 24–Nov. 22. Fri.–Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 and 7 p.m. (Also Thu., 8 p.m., Nov. 12 and 19; Sat., 3 p.m., Oct. 31 and Nov. 7. Dark Sat., 8 p.m., Oct. 31.) (818) 558-7000, ext. 15. www.colonytheatre.org.