Play Opens Door to White House History
By Lisa Millegan
Modesto Bee, April 11, 2009
Did you know that President Herbert Hoover was extremely formal and hardly ever spoke?
That Franklin Delano Roosevelt was gregarious and debated policy with his adult children? That Harry Truman was friendly with all his servants? That Dwight D. Eisenhower was initially against integrating the military?
These are some of the tidbits you pick up in RiffRaff Productions’ fascinating one-man show “Looking Over the President’s Shoulder,” now running at Townsend Opera Players’ Little Opera Hall in downtown Modesto.
This is anything but a dry lecture on American history. Dwight Dean Mahabir, who plays Alonzo Fields, a real-life butler for the four presidents, is an engaging storyteller who makes history come to life.
Based on Fields’ memoir, “My 21 Years in the White House,” James Still’s play offers a look at the country’s presidents from the point of view of their staff.
It opens on Fields’ last day of work as he is waiting for a bus to leave Pennsylvania Avenue. He recalls his early life growing up in a small town in Indiana, his time studying opera at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and finally his entry into working as a butler for a rich family who hosted the Hoovers.
He was invited to work in the White House by Mrs. Hoover after his previous employer suddenly died.
It must be extremely difficult to remember more than two hours worth of lines and perform a show by yourself, but Mahabir makes it look easy. If he was struggling with the material, it didn’t show at Saturday night’s performance.
Although the monologues can be dense at times and hard to follow, Mahabir keeps things interesting by varying the tone throughout. Sometimes he’s serious, sometimes funny, sometimes angry. Through it all, he maintains an admirable dignity and strong sense of self.
As a bonus, we also get to hear his gorgeous singing (Mahabir is best known as a musical theater performer in this area).
Director Richard Mann gives Mahabir strong support with a production that includes a slide show of key historical moments and musical clips that set the era. Mann also designed the fine set, which features an elegant formal dining room.
It’s too bad the show is at TOP’s cramped Little Opera Hall, which has uncomfortable, hard seats. The small company really had no other option, as it doesn’t have much money or a venue of its own. But this compelling show really deserves to be in the Gallo Center for the Arts’ Foster Theater.
Mahabir is a top-notch artist with big-city talent, and any audience he’ll lose because of the poor venue is a shame.
Looking Over the President’s Shoulder at Stage 3
By Rocky Rhoads
The Valley View
Once in a blue moon, if you’re lucky, you find yourself standing at the end of a performance, as if by command, clapping and laughing and crying all at the same time. Well Saturday night, that blue moon was shining at Stage 3 and it shown on Dwight D. Mahabir, performing James Still’s one actor triumph,Looking Over the President’s Shoulder.
Stage 3, in Sonora, while not quite in the Valley, is a treasure in the Foothills, a unique regional black box theater with a charm well worth the short trip from cities like Stockton, Lodi or Manteca.
Looking Over the President’s Shoulder is a one person play based on the real life experiences of Alonzo Fields who served four Presidents and their families in the white house from 1931 to 1953. The material for the play was culled from interviews with family members, private papers and diaries, and Fields’ book, My 21 Years in the White House, published by Crest Books in 1960. Though the book is mostly benign and in many ways a flattery to the four administrations Alonzo Fields served, a ban was placed on all books by domestics after the publication of My 21 Years in the White House.
James Still, the writer, decided on a one person play for many reasons, “It was my instinct from the beginning to write this play for one actor. There is something exhilarating and exciting about watching one character tell his or her story.” Exciting and exhilarating indeed. With Dwight Mahabir at the helm of Still’s amazing script, Looking Over the President’s Shoulder is all of that and more.
This is the fourth production of the show for Dwight, and the Stage 3 incarnation is based on the original production directed by Richard Mann of RiffRaff Productions in 2009. On working with Mann, Dwight has nothing but praise. “Being under the direction of Mr. Mann was akin to having a master class in theatre.”
Dwight Mahabir is a New York native. He began his acting career at the age on 9 studying acting with Stella Adler Acting School in Manhattan and voice with Dr Dino Anagnost, director of the Orpheum Chorale at the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts. Just some of his credits include, The Me Nobody Knows, the Broadway and Chicago cast,Anything Goes, Oklahoma! and Finian’s Rainbow. His film credits include The Education of Sonny Carson for Paramount, Law and Disorder for Columbia and Seeing Red for Cake Walk Productions. Mr Mahabir can be seen in the the African American Shakespeare Company production of Euripides, Medea in March and Much Ado About Nothing in May. He is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild.
What’s missing on Dwight’s resume? Humility, he has it by the truckloads. Meeting him after his masterful performance, in the now empty house, standing on the very same stage where he had just so expertly brought Alonzo Fields to life, his first words: “Did you notice where I messed up? It just felt slow tonight. You should have seen it last night.”
Actors, no matter how brilliant they may be, they never change. And for the record, I’m certain no one in the audience thought the show ran slow.
Dwight is kind enough to sit for a few minutes after the show, we relax in Stage 3’s tiny makeup room, sitting on folding chairs at the counter in front of the large lighted mirror. “I first saw the show in San Fransisco about 13 years ago at the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, and I walked out of the theater saying, I have to do this show.”
He secured the script in 2008 and pitched the idea of taking on Looking Over the President’s Shoulder to a local director and producer. The first production ran for three weeks to critical acclaim at Townsend Opera Players’ Little Opera Hall in Modesto, and has also reprised in 2011 at the West Side Theatre in Newman, then Dwight performed it at the Gallo Center for the Arts for the Sankofa Theater Company this last summer to full houses. “I love this show, and I’m in awe of Alonzo Fields, I would book this show everywhere and do it forever if I could.”
While not the original actor, there is a real feeling that the role could have been written for Dwight. With his full and rich baritone the brief singing Dwight does as Alonzo shows his classical training bonafides, just like the real Alonzo Fields. “I do feel close to Alonzo,” Dwight admits, “I’ve been working on it for more than a decade, I even have the book from the original run, with the little .50 cent price tag up in the corner.”
The warmth Dwight feels for the man he’s played in four productions, comes through in his performance, and the way he speaks about the man. “He’s just such a part of me now, I have so much respect for him. For his dignity and his quiet charm. He deferred his dream, much like I did for a big part of my life. I’m sure he’ll never leave my heart.”
Once in a blue moon an actor gets a role like Alonzo Fields, and once in a blue moon, if you’re very, very lucky, you’ll be one to witness Dwight D. Mahabir bring that role to life.
Actor serves well as a White
House butler
By Patricia Harrelson
Sierra Lodestar
Murphys Creek Theater has taken a decidedly unusual direction for a December production. Skipping the holiday season theme almost entirely, “Looking Over the President’s Shoulder” takes its audience on a journey through two decades of America’s political past.
Viewed through the eyes of Alonzo Fields, a White House butler for 21 years, the personalities of four U.S. presidents blaze to life through Dwight Dean Mahabir’s piercing portrayal. Mahabir shines in the one-man show, making his audience care deeply about the man in the tuxedo who unobtrusively observed four presidents from a most intimate perspective.
Clearly the success of his performance relied on the cogent direction of Richard Mann. Mahabir commends “achieving something organic and new,” for, Mann in the playbill assisting him you see, both men have worked together before to produce this show.
While there is only one live person on stage during this production, Mahabir is a convincing mimic who brings to life presidents and many other famous characters of the day, including Eleanor Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Errol Flynn and Marian Andersen. The stage is lively with action as the butler reminisces at the end of his career in a scattered but mostly linear fashion about the American history he observed firsthand. Video and audio clips of monumental moments – the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the death of Franklin Delano Roosevert – accompany some of Fields’ recollections to add depth. The videos appear on a screen off to the left and far back on the set to give a sense of long ago.
Fields’ reminiscences begin as he awaits a bus after his last day of work, sitting on a bench under a lamppost to the left of the stage. The impeccably dressed man – in an overcoat, Fedora and distinctive gold scarf – sits, stands and paces, peering into the distance in search of the bus. The gesture doubles as a look to the past that prompts his gush of recollections.
Soon Mahabir moves center stage to a slightly raised platform from which some of the Fields’ most fascinating and emotional revelations take place. Behind this platform, a finely appointed dining room serves as the focal point of the set. Mahabir circles round and round the dining table, cleaning and polishing during the first act, action that compliments the broad play with the mundane historical narrative of the details of Fields’ life.
Though the long hours Fields spent at the White House provide the meat of this story, we are offered occasional glimpses of the butler’s home life in a small cozy scene staged to the right, furnished with a rocker and radio.
Fields’ biography is compelling. Born into a working family in a black community in southern Indiana, he distinguished himself early as a musician. Eventually he attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, during which time he worked for the president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a butler to pay for his tuition. Mrs. Herbert Hoover noticed him in that capacity, and when his employer died, she offered him a job at the White House. Fields needed the work and believed the new job would mean leaving his music studies only temporarily. Playwright Jim Stills mixes the tension of Fields’ thwarted aspirations with the reality of his life of service by weaving a musically connective thread throughout the show. Mahabir’s artistic talent flares spectacularly in this aspect of the script. Be prepared for a bodily response, especially in the closing scene.
Also be prepared to get to know four of our former presidents. Herbert Hoover, ironically called “Smiley” by the serving staff, comes across as a stern but decent man. Mahabir beautifully mimics FDR’s breezy, aristocratic bonhomie as well as Eleanor’s high-pitched speech and friendly nature.
But it is Mahabir’s portrayal of Field’s favorite president, Harry Truman, as straight-talking and fair-dealing, that most affected me. In fact, as soon as I got home, I went directly to my bookshelf to retrieve David McCullough’s Pulitzer Prize-winning tome about Truman. The intimidating girth of McCullough’s biography paled in the light of the curiosity provoked by the image Mahabir offers.
“Looking Over the President’s Shoulder” is chock full of thought-provoking images and fascinating revelations. For instance, consider the incredible transitions made by the White House staff each time a new president is elected. They serve breakfast to one presidential family on Jan. 20 and dinner to another family that likely has a very different concept of cuisine and protocol later the same day. Or what about being secretly whisked from one’s job to travel a long distance to serve a vising dignitary like Winston Churchill? I get it that seasonal musicals and broad comedies are particularly appealing to audiences, especially in December. However, a play about a black man in service to white leaders of the free world has a certain punch and poignancy. I, for one, found Alonzo Fields’ reminiscences and reflections in “Looking Over the President’s Shoulder” acutely relevant. Not only is the piece typical, but it stars one of the Mother Lode’s gifted actors, which makes this production a super smart choice no matter what time of year. However, to be clear, Alonzo Fields isn’t a political construct. Rather, he’s a man who made particular choices under a given set of circumstances. I guarantee you will walk away from this play chewing on meaningful reflection, worthwhile history and truly fine acting.
Looking Over the President’s Shoulder
A Review by Tony Bolger
Politics never needed a loss of innocence. But there is a certain strain of old-fashioned values which nostalgically colors this most recent presentation by the Rosarito Theatre Guild. Looking Over the President’s Shoulder is not only historical drama, but a penetrating look into the White House head butler, an African-American, and how he coped with life decisions stemming from the dire circumstances of the Great Depression. The story of Alonzo Fields is less about racial justice than it is about an artist’s struggle to survive. His dream was to perform in the opera, but the
Depression would dim that hope.
Fields only speaks when spoken to. But his thoughts and insights into a range of issues from the unpredictable Eleanor Roosevelt to World War II are full of wisdom. The butler’s inner conflictcis somewhat overshadowed by the behind the scenes revelations of the First Families he attended to. For those intrigued by First Family trivia, Looking Over the President’s Shoulder affords fascinating glimpses into the dinner table routines of the Hoover’s, Roosevelt’s, Truman’s and even briefly, the
Eisenhower’s.
A one-man show requires an actor who can capture and hold the audience’s attention, single-handedly, for several hours. And Dwight Mahabir is more than up to the task. The butler’s stellar and conflicted life affords Mr. Mahabir the opportunity to portray his subject with flawless dignity and polished grace.
The relaxed nature of his delivery is most appealing. I felt as if he was talking to me alone, revealing his own life story in a one on one, intimate sort of way. His mimicking of the various Presidents and celebrities is masterful. The movement from dialogue to attending to the details of table side etiquette flows smoothly, seeming effortlessly.
Mr. Mahabir, in addition to his early association with the Stella Adler Acting Studio in Manhattan, studied voice with Dino Anagnost, director of the Orpheum Chorale at the Lincoln Center of Performing Arts. His several musical interludes, including Ave Maria, reveal a luxurious, trained voice. His dynamic performance brings to light a character whose quiet, reflective life offers an oasis of calm stability in the often turbulent and always changing times of the White House. This multi-talented actor will hold you enthralled from the bench outside the White House gates to his final day as head butler for First Families over twenty-one years.
The set design and construction, by Greg Richards with David Merino, portray, simply, the pomp and protocol associated with the White House. The special effects of sound and lighting by Antonio Morales and Milo Goehring deserve many kudos. The perfect timing of the lighting, and the powerful impact of radio news recordings, and most importantly, the video/slide presentations such as Roosevelt’s funeral procession and Marion Anderson’s performance in the East Room all enlighten and enrich the play.
Bringing this all together is no small task. Sylvia Dombrosky and Steve Wayles are to be commended for their “productive” skills. This took special creative genius to allow a complicated script to flow so smoothly.
Alonzo Fields asks the question familiar to most of us: “Have I lived my life wisely?” With characteristic simplicity, he concludes that serving is like music and that this was my art.
One-man powerhouse at Stage 3
Gary Linehan
The Union Democrat
This is the final weekend to see a dynamic one-man play about a butler who served four presidents in the White House.
Stage 3 Theatre will continue its special three-week engagement of “Looking Over the President’s Shoulder” through Sunday at 208 S. Green St. in downtown Sonora.
Curtain times are 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For reservations, call 536-1778 or visit www.stage3.org.
Dwight D. Mahabir stars in the true story of Alonzo Fields, an aspiring opera singer in Washington, D.C., who was forced by the Depression to accept a domestic job at the White House, where he ended up spending 21 years as chief butler.
Fields served from 1931 to early 1953, working for four presidents – Herbert Hoover, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower – and their families. There is nothing terribly shocking about the content, although the perspective is fascinating. Fields sheds light on the diverse personalities of the White House inhabitants and records details not found in history books, including the spontaneous presidential reactions to several crucial events.
Mahabir gives a masterful performance in a role he has previously performed at the Gallo Center for the Arts, West Side Theatre and Townsend Opera Players’ Little Opera Hall. The play includes some operatic forays by Mahabir, each drawing the audience’s applause. It should be no surprise then that Mahabir is also an “Looking Over the President’s Shoulder” is rife with humor, drama and human pathos. It is a full-length production with a single set and atmospheric lighting. Mahabir has a challenging part to play – conveying not only one man’s experience but bringing the entire White House to life, all the while keeping the audience engaged through an avalanche of conversational dialogue.
He succeeds royally.
Mahabir, a New York native, began his acting career at the age of 9, training with the Stella Adler Acting Studio in Manhattan and studying voice with Dino Anagnost, director of the Orpheum Chorale at the Lincoln Center of Performing Arts. His theater credits include “The Me Nobody Knows,” “Oklahoma!,” “The King and I,” “Anything Goes,” “Finian’s Rainbow,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Big River,” “Blues in the Night,” “The Marriage of Figaro,” “Scrooge,” “Man of La Mancha,” “Phantom,” “Paint Your Wagon,” “The Full Monty,” “Amahl the Night Visitors” and “Macbeth.”
Also a member of the Screen Actors Guild, Mahabir can be seen in the films “The Education of Sonny Carson,” “Law and Disorder” and “Seeing Red.”
MCT’s season closer is engaging, superbly directed
By Kathy Isaac-Luke
The Union Democrat
Murphys Creek Theatre is closing its current season with the one-man play “Looking Over the President’s Shoulder.” Written by James Still, the play is a reflection on the real life story of Alonzo Fields, who was chief butler in the White House for more than 20 years.
Fields was born in 1900 and grew up in the all AfricanAmerican town of Lyles Station, Indiana. He studied music at the New England Conservatory of Music and planned to become an opera singer before the Great Depression thwarted his goal.
Fields initially didn’t want the job of White House butler, but he had a family to support and needed something to tide him over until he found work as a singer. However, he was so good at his job, he was soon promoted to chief butler and became indispensable to four consecutive administrations.
Fields kept a journal during his years in the White House, and later wrote a book, “My 21 Years in the White House,” which was published in 1960. It is his vivid and humorous observations of the interactions he witnessed that makes the play so lively. The play takes place in a formal, chandeliered east wing dining room, meticulously designed by Terry Smith.
Dwight Dean Mahabir has played this part several times before, and has honed the role to perfection. His connection with the audience is immediate, and he flawlessly brings Field’s persona to life. Through his character’s recollections, the audience gets a glimpse of the different personalities who inhabited the White House, from the straight-laced Hoovers, the complex Roosevelts and the down-to-earth Trumans. He also captures the transitions between these very different administrations.
Mahabir excels at weaving a story and relates some delightful anecdotes about the public figures Fields encountered during his tenure. First Lady Lou Hoover, who had earlier met Fields at a luncheon, offered him the job at which he would excel. Mrs. Hoover presided over White House entertaining with much attention to detail, while her husband did not accept a salary as president.
It is the Roosevelt family who are portrayed most memorably, perhaps because their 12-year stay at the White House was the longest. Mahabir captivates the audience with his impressions of Eleanor Roosevelt flitting about planning activities with energy and enthusiasm.
He also tells about how dinners with several dignitaries might be scheduled at a moment’s notice, leaving the staff to hastily prepare a fitting feast. Through all of this, Alonzo Fields presided with grace and aplomb.
Other highlights of the play include Fields’ encounters with Winston Churchill, who was responsible for some very colorful episodes, often while in an inebriated state. And, Fields also had some brushes with celebrity visitors, such as Errol Flynn, who challenged him to a fist fight, and actress Marie Dressler, who told him he was handsome enough to be in Hollywood.
There are also tragic moments depicting FDR’s devastation at the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the shock at his death in 1945, which stunned Fields as well as the country. Particularly moving is the account of Field’s admiration of Harry Truman, who learned the names of all his staff members and treated them as individuals. Fields left the White House in 1953 at the start of the Eisenhower administration.
One of Field’s most treasured memories was the opportunity he was given to sing for the White House staff at Christmas in 1932, while the president and first lady were away. This anecdote provides one of several occasions for Mahabir to treat the audience to dazzling song segments delivered in a rich baritone voice.
Director Richard Mann and Assistant Director Kathy Lindsey’s use of music and an onstage screen to broadcast actual historical events is quite effective. The lighting by Terry Smith adds depth to the production. This engaging play, superbly acted and directed, is wonderful entertainment for the entire family. Even history buffs will likely learn something they did not know.
“Looking Over the President’s Shoulder” runs through Sunday, Dec. 17, at the Black Bart Playhouse, 580 S. Algiers St. in Murphys. For tickets or more information, visit murphyscreektheatre.org or call (209) 728-8422.
Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.
George Bernard Shaw