''Will Rogers' USA'' is a one-man play about humorist

Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma ...

that

James Whitmore James Allen Whitmore Jr. (October 1, 1921 – February 6, 2009) was an American actor. He received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Theatre World Award, and a Tony Award, plus two Ac ...

appeared in for more than 30 years. It was first staged by Frankie Hewitt at the Loretto-Hilton Theater in

Webster Groves, Missouri Webster Groves is an inner-ring Greater St. Louis, suburb of St. Louis in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 24,010 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is home to the main campus of Webster Universit ...

in January 1970Dennis McClellan
"James Whitmore dies at 87; veteran award-winning actor brought American icons to the screen"
''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'', February 7, 2009. and then at

Ford's Theatre Ford's Theatre is a theater located in Washington, D.C., which opened in 1863. The theater is best known for being the site of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. On the night of April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth entered the theater box where ...

in September 1970. It was broadcast on television and recorded on record in 1972 and had a limited run on Broadway in May 1974. The Broadway production was produced by George Spota. The play was produced and conceived by George Spota, adapted and directed by

Paul Shyre Paul Shyre (March 8, 1926 – November 19, 1989) was an American director and playwright who received a Special Tony Award and won a Regional Emmy Award.Haymer, Johnny (21 November 1989) ''The Washington Post'' page B-7 He is noted for the ...

, with research by associate producer Bryan Sterling. Whitmore changed his monologue each time he performed it, using actual quotations from Will Rogers to comment on current events at the time of the performance. Gene McFall was reportedly the first person other than Whitmore to perform in the play in 1982. He was stage manager and understudy to Whitmore while on tour in 1983 and 1984. Another source says that actor Paul Tripp starred in a national tour of the play in 1974. Whitmore reprised the role numerous times through February 2000, when he performed it for the eighth and final run at

in Washington, D.C.Staff (11 February 2009) "Actor refused to be typecast" ''The Courier Mail'' (Australia) page 94 His costume was later sent to the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

. The play was recently revived by Kaleidoscope Theatre Company.

Notes

External links

Ford's Theatre Production History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Will Rogers' Usa American plays Plays based on real people Cultural depictions of Will Rogers Plays set in the United States 1970 plays