[NEohioPAL]Berko Review: Give 'Em Hell Harry (Actors' Summit)

[Roy Berko]

HARRY TRUMAN APPEARS AT ACTOR’S SUMMIT

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	

It only takes a few minutes into ‘GIVE ‘EM HELL
HARRY,’ now on stage at Actors’ Summit Theatre, for
the viewer to forget that it’s Wayne Turney speaking
to us and not the 33rd President of the United States.
 

Every wonder where the phrase, “Give ‘em Hell, Harry”
originated?  Legend tells us that during a speech by
Truman attacking the Republicans during the 1948
Presidential election campaign a supporter yelled out,
"Give 'em Hell, Harry!". Truman replied, "I don't give
them Hell. I just tell the truth about them and they
think it's Hell." Subsequently, "Give 'em Hell,
Harry!" became a lifetime slogan for Truman
supporters.

‘GIVE 'EM HELL HARRY’ was written by Samuel Gallu.  It
allows us to share in many of Truman's biographical
high points: his diplomatic and emotional handling of
the Korean War; deciding to drop the atomic bomb; and
managing less-than-kind critics, including one who
criticized his daughter’s musical debut. We are
treated to a walk down memory lane as he relives his
moments with the "Dizzy D's," an army group he whipped
into action during World War II, as a proud builder of
roads who defied political pressure to give contracts
to those who tried to gain favors by political
connections (think Halliburton circa 2004), when he
stands courageously toe-to-toe against the Ku Klux
Klan and when he fires General Douglas MacArthur for
insubordination.

We also witness Truman mowing the lawn, chatting with
reporters and making conversation with people on the
street. We even see a beaming Truman, after he had won
re-election, as he holds up the famous edition of The
Chicago Tribune whose headline declared, "Dewey
Defeats Truman."

The key component in bringing all of this to life is
the man who plays the role of Truman.  And Turney is a
wonderful choice.  He so skillfully wraps himself in
the role that Truman’s words and ideas are all the
audience experiences.   This is a wonderful history
lesson and an examination of the little man from
Missouri who “shot from the lip” and took personal
responsibility for his actions.  As the sign on his
desk states, “The buck stops here.” Truman put himself
on the line for what he believed in, not for what was
necessary to win an election.  He was not a man who
allowed someone else to plot his campaigns.  He was
not a man who backed down from his beliefs in a
liberal philosophy which included equal rights for
all.  This is the man that Turney so compellingly
captures that he makes the entire experience a
personal triumph.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:   Perhaps the idea of viewing a
one-man show about the life and times of President
Harry S. Truman doesn't sound terribly compelling. 
Well, in the capable hands of Turney it becomes a
captivating experience.  As the late-President might
have said, “This is one hell of a show.”

For tickets to the production, which runs through
November 14, call 330-342-0800 or go on-line to
www.actorssummit.org.



=====
Roy Berko's web page can be found at www.royberko.info.  His theatre and dance reviews appear on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source, which can be subscribed to at no charge by contacting neohiopal at lists.fredsternfeld.com.


		
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