Review Roundup: EISENHOWER: THIS PIECE OF GROUND, Starring John Rubinstein

Last night was the opening night of EISENHOWER: THIS PIECE OF GROUND starring Tony Award winner John Rubinstein as President Dwight D. Eisenhower.  

Adapted from a vast array of General Eisenhower's memoirs, speeches, and letters, Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground is a candid and fascinating fictional eavesdropping on President Dwight D. Eisenhower at his Gettysburg, Pennsylvania farm. It is 1962 and The New York Times Magazine has published its first list ranking the American Presidents in order of greatness. Pondering his placement on the list, Eisenhower looks back on his life - his Kansas upbringing, his decorated Army career, his victories in World War II, and his two terms as President – contemplating the qualities and adversities that make an American President great.

Let's see what the critics had to say...

Frank Scheck, New York Stage Review: Enhanced by projections of historical photographs that give the production the feel of an illustrated biography, Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground proves both a compelling solo drama and a welcome reminder that there was once a time when moderation did indeed play a vital role in national politics.

Jonathan Mandell, New York Theater: Rubinstein seems the right match for a role that emphasizes the congeniality of a historical figure whose primary philosophy (for government and everything else) can be summed up as: Moderation (aka middle of the road.)  Rubinstein’s performance as Eisenhower, which quietly and effectively brings out what’s funny and what’s poignant in the script, is in most respects as welcome as all the other performances I’ve seen of his (most recently “Mornings at Seven” in 2021 at the same theater.) But “Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground,” a solo show running at Theatre at St. Clements through July 30, seems intended as a history lesson in defense of 34, and perhaps a lesson about historians. As history, it gave me pause.

James Wilson, Talkin' Broadway: If the writing glosses over some of the inconvenient truths of Eisenhower's life and career, Rubinstein, under Peter Ellenstein's direction, offers a complex and deeply rooted performance. Rubinstein does not so much offer an impersonation of Eisenhower, but he impressively captures the spirit of a man who strives for steadiness and calm while finding himself caught up in one global and national storm after another. It is a masterful acting achievement.

Suzanna Bowling, Times Square Chronicles: One of the best parts of the show was the projections using historical photographs, so we could connect the dots and have this historical reference. I also found it interesting that they used the fictional book to boost Eisenhaurer’s ranking up to #5 as the top president by the shows end.

Deb Miller, John Rubinstein as President Dwight D. Eisenhower.  Check out photos from the big night below! In addition to Rubinstein, photos feature playwright Richard Hellesen, director Peter Ellenstein, and opening night attendee Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of the 34th president. Adapted from a vast array of General Eisenhower's memoirs, speeches, and letters, Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground is a candid and fascinating fictional eavesdropping on President Dwight D. Eisenhower at his Gettysburg, Pennsylvania farm. It is 1962 and The New York Times Magazine has published its first list ranking the American Presidents in order of greatness. Pondering his placement on the list, Eisenhower looks back on his life - his Kansas upbringing, his decorated Army career, his victories in World War II, and his two terms as President – contemplating the qualities and adversities that make an American President great.">DC Theatre Arts: Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground is not just an illuminating view of the man, his background, and his presidency, it’s an indicator of the moral principles that guided him in his dedication to doing what he believed was right, and a valuable lesson in the importance of compromise, both then and now, in our deeply divided country. Go for John Rubinstein’s outstanding performance and consider the select words and ideals he delivers from Ike, which resonate beyond partisan politics, speak to working for the common good, and advocate to “choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong” (a quote that’s been attributed to Mormon leader Thomas S. Monson).

Samuel L. Leiter, Theater Life: Hellesen’s heavily researched script, efficiently staged by Peter Ellenstein, has a clever hook for getting Ike to spill the beans; he’s upset by a New York Times article in which 75 historians ranked all presidents by their level of greatness: “Great, Near Great, Average, Below Average, and Failure.” To his consternation, his own placement is 22nd among 34 (it was too early to quantify JFK’s greatness), with even Herbert Hoover and Andrew Johnson ahead of him. It turns out, in fact, that the number of presidents considered could technically be reduced to 31, making Ike’s position even weaker, even though, like Madison and Grant, he was deemed a great American if not a great president.