The American School in Guadalajara has teamed up with the Lakeside Little Theatre to bring “Lincoln and Mexico: The Untold Story” to Lakeside, Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20.
The American School presented the world premiere of the English-language play, adapted by Michael Hogan (the school’s Emeritus Humanities Chair) from his own book “Abraham Lincoln and Mexico,” in late March.
According to American School Director of Theater Stacy Ohrt-Billingslea, this is the first time the school has presented a production off the school’s grounds.
The play recounts the story, discovered by a history teacher and his students, of how Mary Todd Lincoln helped the young Mexican envoy Matias Romero eliminate the French from North America.
A handful of bigger-than-life historical characters – including Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, Maximiliano I and his wife Carlota, Benito Juarez, General Ulysses Grant and Secretary of State William Seward – are audaciously brought to life in Hogan’s play.
Along with these high-profile characters, ordinary people are spotlighted too, such as Matias Romero, a Mexican envoy who resided in Washington D.C. during and after the U.S. Civil War.
A big cast of modern characters also populates the play. One is Mr. North, a veiled portrayal of the author when he was a history teacher at the American school and struggling to unearth the story of the collaboration between Lincoln and Romero to aid Mexico in its struggles against French interference, a collaboration that was impeded by Lincoln’s assassination, which is depicted in the play.
Junior- and high-school players are augmented by a couple of teachers in major roles. History teacher and New Yorker Chris Hopper plays Mr. North, while geography teacher Julián Flores portrays the august Maximiliano I.
Although Hogan’s play leads the historically-challenged along the storyline with enough clues to avoid confusion, potential playgoers may want to brush up on history.
Hogan has leavened the heavy-duty history with several inventive comic vignettes, depicting a quirky librarian at Brown University, two of Matias Romero’s landladies, Lincoln’s private secretary and Mary Todd Lincoln.
The play’s multi-media set, sound and lighting are inventive – and probably light years away from most Lakeside resident’s memories of their high-school productions.
The play is directed by Ohrt-Billingslea and student Tania Romero.
Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. Tickets, 100 pesos, are available at the LLT box office Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to noon and also one hour before curtain or via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..