Thursday, July 07, 2005
"President Abraham Lincoln" is not hanging up his hat
 At 6-foot, 6-inches, Dean Dorrell, who portrays President Abraham Lincoln in “Young Abe Lincoln,” is two inches taller than Lincoln, who said he was “six-foot four, nearly.” Dorrell first dressed up like Lincoln for a college parade about 30 years ago. “It was a history theme, and I was tall and thin like Lincoln.” Little did he know that portraying Lincoln would become an avocation. This year’s production of “Young Abe Lincoln,” the last to be produced by USI, will be his fifth season at the amphitheatre. Years after his first Lincoln impersonation, Dorrell, a community theater actor, had grown a beard for the winter, and a friend asked him to portray Lincoln for a group of nursing home residents. “I put a costume together, shaved my mustache, and did a 10-minute presentation of the Gettysburg Address.” Someone photographed Dorrell as Lincoln and sent it to the Daviess County Historical Society, and Dorrell was asked to attend the group’s annual meeting in costume. “People started calling and asking if I could do an appearance here or there, and I started studying Lincoln. I found a one-man play called ‘Mr. Lincoln’ on the Internet, and performed it for the Veale Creek Players, a Washington, Indiana, community theater group. “Then I attended the annual meeting of the Association of Lincoln Presenters. I started putting together material for my own presentation, and a proper, period-correct costume.” In 2002, Dorrell received the association’s Abraham Lincoln Award for his noteworthy Lincoln portrayal. Dorrell and his wife had seen “Young Abe Lincoln” long before he started portraying the 16th president. “After I started portraying Lincoln, we made a point to see the show every year. “Then in 2000, I heard that Macon Ray was going to retire. He’d portrayed President Abraham Lincoln since the second year of the show. I went to the amphitheatre that night and told the managing director, ‘I want this part.’ “It is important that the actor is somebody who knows and understands Lincoln and his life,” he said. “Part of the show is greeting people and talking to kids who have questions about Lincoln.” It’s become a mission in Dorrell’s life to help people better understand Lincoln and southern Indiana’s influence on who he became. “I told a co-worker that I was going to be in the Lincoln Boyhood show portraying President Abraham Lincoln. She’s well educated, and her first question was, ‘You’re going to drive to Illinois every day to do this show?’” Dorrell believes that Lincoln’s roots in southern Indiana contributed to his idea of the democratic ideal. “It was a very hard life, and people had to work to survive. But it was very democratic in that anyone who was willing to come here and work hard could get by and survive as well as anyone else; everyone was equal. I think that helped shape his idea of democracy. “I think the values of the people in his church and the people of his community ultimately were the values that the country needed at the time Lincoln became president.” While he teaches others about Lincoln, Dorrell also learns from him. “I better understand what works and what doesn’t in politics,” he said. “I think part of Lincoln’s political philosophy was that he never held a grudge. That’s a valuable lesson for people to learn. Lincoln didn’t much care about the details and the small things; he was focused on what’s important.” Dorrell said that whatever happens with “Young Abe Lincoln” in the future, USI’s involvement is going to be missed. “USI has done an excellent job of producing 'Young Abe Lincoln.' It’s quite unfortunate that the legislature didn’t come up with the funding that was requested this year. “The theater is such a wonderful place. I think it’s important that this story continues to be told. It’s as important today as it was more than 20 years ago when the Lincoln Boyhood Drama Association was founded.” Dorrell will continue to portray Lincoln for area schools, groups, and organizations. He can be booked for appearances through his Web site, www.honest-abe.com. Lincoln Amphitheatre tickets are on sale now for all 2005 performances. Single tickets for “Young Abe Lincoln” and its companion piece, “South Pacific,” are $17 for adults, $15 for college students with a valid ID and for seniors 60 or older, and $8 for children under 18. Sunday nights are Family Nights, when all tickets are $8. Tickets for Kids Day are $12. For the discounted price of $25, patrons can see both “Young Abe Lincoln” and “South Pacific.” Season passes offer unlimited admission to both shows on any date throughout the season, and are available for $40 per person. University employees are eligible to purchase tickets at the group rate ($12). To order tickets or for more information call 1-800/264-4ABE or visit www.usi.edu/lincoln/. |
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