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>> >>PEGGY: SAN DIEGO'S PREMIERE OF THE ONE MAN PLAY ABOUT PRESIDENT LINCOLN AT THE BIRCH
THEATER EXPLORES LINCOLN'S LAST DAY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE O F THE DOCTOR WHO TENDED TO HIM
IN HIS FINAL HOURS. JOINING ME TO TALK ABOUT THE PLAY IS HERSHEY
FELDER. HERSHEY, THANKS SO MUCH FOR TALKING WITH US
ABOUT THIS PLAY. THERE SEEMS TO BE A RESURGENCE IN INTEREST
IN PRESIDENT LINCOLN. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?
>> >>HERSHEY FELDER: I THINK HE REPRESENTS THE EVERY MAN RISING TO DO SOMETHING INCREDIBLE.
THIS IS SOMETHING PEOPLE RELATE TO. I DON'T THINK IT'S WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT
PRESIDENT. BUT I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT WE SEE SOMETHING
OF OURSELVES IN HIM, AND THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR, REFLECTION.
>> >>PEGGY: A LITTLE REFLECTION. YOU PLAY THE DOCTORハ YOU PLAY PRESIDENT
LINCOLN'S DOCTOR. TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER.
>> >>HERSHEY FELDER: IT'S LESS THAT HE WAS HIS DOCTOR THAN HE HAD TO BE A DOCTOR IN THE
HOUSE, WHERE THE PHRASE COMES FROM. HE WAS A 23 YEAR OLD NOBODY, A UNION ARMY
SU SURGEON WHO HAD JUST ENTERED THE ARMY. AND SUDDENLY WANTED TO STUD THEA PRESIDENT,
FOUND HIM AT FORD THEATER. AND MRS.ハLINCOLN PUTS HIM IN CHARGE.
AND SO IT WAS REALLY QUITE A MIRACULOUS THING FOR HIM TO BE THERE.
BY THE SAME TOKEN HE FOUND HIMSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF HISTORY AND HAD NO IDEA HOW HE GOT
THERE, YET HE CARED FOR LINCOLN FOR THOSE LAST NINE HOURS BELIEVING THAT LINCOLN HAD
COULD NOT HEAR BECAUSEハ COULD NOT SEE BECAUSE OF HIS INJURY AND HE COULDN'T SPEAK BUT HE
BELIEVED HE COULD HEAR SO WHILE HE DIRECTED TRAFFIC GOING TO THE HOUSE ACROSS THE WAY,
WHAT KIND OF AID ADMINISTERED THE PRESIDENT, HELD THE PRESIDENT'S HAND AND BELIEVED HE
WANTED THE PRESIDENT TO DIE KNOWING HE HAD A FRIEND.
AND THAT JUST MOVED ME BEYOND. >> >>PEGGY: THROUGH HIS PERSPECTIVE, THAT
WAS THOSE FINAL SORT OF KIND MOMENTS. >> >>HERSHEY FELDER: THAT A 23 YEAR OLD WOULD
THINK OF THIS. I WAS JUST SO AMAZED HOW HE HAD THE PRESENCE
OF MIND, AND THE NOBILITY. THIS GUY WAS 90 YEARS OLD AND TOLD THE STORY
ONCE IN HIS LIFE. >> >>PEGGY: LET'S LISTEN TO A CLIP FROM AN
AMERICAN STORY. >> >>: MY DEER COUNTRY, MY BELOVED PEOPLE,
I FONDLY HOPE I FERVENTLY PRAY, THAT THIS MIGHTY SCOURGE OF WAR IS FINALLY PASSED.
WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE, WITH CHARITY FOR ALL, WITH FIRMNESS IN THE RIGHT AS GOD GIVES
US TO SEE THE RIGHT, LET US STRIVE TO FINISH THE WORK, TO BIND THE NATION, TO CARE FOR
HIM, WHO BORN THE BATTLE AND FOR HIS WIDOW. >> >>PEGGY: SOMETHING THAT STRIKES ME ABOUT
THAT CLIP IS THERE WAS MUSIC. I UNDERSTAND THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF MUSIC
IN THIS PERFORM BS. WHAT TYPES OF MUSIC?
>> >>AMITA SHARMA: >> >>HERSHEY FELDER: IT'S SIM PHONIC AND PLAYED
LIVE. PROCESSED THROUGH MY OWN SENSE OF COMPOSITION
SO MUCH LIKE IN THE WAY HISTORICAL COMPOSERS WOULD TAKE THEMES OF THEIR COUNTRY.
THIS IS WHAT I DID OR TRIED TO DO HERE, AND PRODUCE A SCORE UNDERNEATH.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME SINGING IN IT, BECAUSE THERE ARE MO MS THAT REQUIRE SINGING.
EVERYBODY SANG, SO IT BECOMES THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL, AND THINGS LIKE THE GETIES BRG ADDRESS
ARE COMPLETELY UNDER SCORED. IT'S ALL DRIVEN BY WHAT'S HAPPENING AND JUST
ABOUT ALL OF IT IS BASED ON WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
>> >>PEGGY: THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME YOU'VE PLAYED A HISTORICAL FIGURE, YOU'VE DONE A
PLAY ON GERSHWIN, WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE HISTORICAL CHARACTER THAT'S SO ATTRACTIVE TO YOU?
>> >>HERSHEY FELDER: I THINK IT'S A NOTION THAT REAL PEOPLE FIND THEMSELVES IN REAL SITUATIONS
AND THEY RISE TO THE OCCASION. MOST OF THE PEOPLE I PLAY BEFORE THEY WERE
IONS. THEY WERE REAL PEOPLE AND THAT REAL PEOPLE
CAN BE GREAT. AND THIS MAN WHO HISTORY DOESN'T REALLY KNOW
ANYTHING ABOUT WAS A GREAT COMFORT TO AMERICA'S GREATEST PRESIDENT OR WHEN WAS PERCEIVED AS
AMERICA'S GREATEST PRESIDENT. THAT TO ME IS A FASCINATING THING.
THERE ARE SO MANY KAWGS IN THE WHEEL THAT MAKE UP WHAT THE WHEEL DOES AND THAT'S VERY
TOUCHING TO ME AND SO THE CHARACTERS AS I LOOK BACK ON THEM ALL REPRESENT SOMETHING
IN THEIR DAY THAT WAS MUCH PART OF A MUCH GREATER WHOLE AND I'M QUITE TOUCHED BY THAT.
>> >>PEGGY: I WANT TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT HERSHEY FELDER'S AN AMERICAN STORY RUNS THROUGH
FEBRUARYハ3 AT THE BIRCH NORTH PARK THEATER.