On October 22nd, the Richard Stockton College Performing Arts Center hosted Ed Asner as he portrayed one of America’s most beloved presidents, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  During the performance, the audience traveled back in time to the Great Depression and World War II.  The audience had the opportunity to watch some of the most important events and decisions of FDR’s presidency unfold, as if given complete access to the Oval Office.  Asner’s impressive acting ability truly made history come alive in this memorable performance.

Ed Asner became famous during the 1980s, when he played Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.  Since that time, he has acted in many films and television shows.  Although, my generation may not be familiar with some of his early work, Asner is certainly recognizable in the recent film, Up, in which he was the voice of Carl Fredericksen.  Asner’s years of acting experience were truly present in his performance as FDR.

In this performance, Asner depicted the presidency of Roosevelt from his first election in 1932 to his death in 1945.  The performance began with Asner rolling out on stage in a wheel chair because FDR was paralyzed from the waist down.  FDR became paralyzed from the waist down, and in one powerful scene, FDR stood for the first time without the support of any object.  It was a powerful scene because of the determination FDR exhibited, and it set the stage for how he would conduct himself throughout the rest of his presidency.

For the majority of the performance, Asner was busy portraying FDR as being busy talking to people or making plans at his desk in the Oval Office.  FDR spoke with a variety of people including his trusted advisors, world leaders, and family members.  One of the challenges Asner had was in letting the audience know who he was talking to.  Since he was the only actor on stage, he had to work extremely hard and be very creative to make it seem as though he was speaking with another person on stage.  The telephone on FDR’s desk served as a tool to introduce new people.  Before a new person would come into the Oval Office, Asner would make a call asking for so-and-so to be sent in.  This kept the audience informed to what was happening during the performance.

The conversations that Asner had reflected the important decisions and events that FDR faced during his presidency.  Asner displayed the wide range of emotions that FDR exhibited from his cunning in packing the Supreme Court with new justices, to the charisma of campaigning in elections, to the indignation following Pearl Harbor.  The success of the performance rested on Asner’s acting ability.  His ability to effectively convey the mannerisms, decisions, and speeches that defined FDR’s presidency truly this performance feel like a trip back in time.