Heritage Trust Dinner Features Luther In Dramatic Portrayal of
17th President
Andrew Johnson, the nation's 17th president, spoke Thursday at the 35th annual Greene County Heritage Trust Early American Christmas Dinner. He received a rousing reception. Johnson was portrayed by Daniel Luther whose remarks were actually "a compilation" of Johnson's own words, he said afterward. Many observers said Luther looked and sounded surprisingly like the 17th president, who was noted for his oratorical ability.
Luther said he spent the last year researching and writing his monologue, "Tailor from Tennessee," compiled from Johnson's speeches and letters. The one-man-show was conceived and directed by James-Ben Stockton.
Among the primary sources for the Christmas section presented Thursday evening were Johnson's January 1864 speech on "Restoration of Tennessee State Government," his comments upon taking the presidential oath of office, April 15,1865, and an interview with a Cincinnati Observer reporter during Johnson's 1868 impeachment proceedings.
Luther said the project was inspired by his four years as a MainStreet Downtown Historical Tour guide -- a partnership between Main Street; Greeneville and the NPS, his love of history and his enjoyment portraying historical personalities.
Published in A! Magazine for the Arts