Divide and Conquer

In its intimate theater in Morrisville, Pa., Actors’ NET shows how Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, born of a common fight, developed kinship.

By: Amy Brummer

"From
From left: Todd Reichart, K.T. Tomlinson and Joe Doyle in the Actors’ NET production Jefferson and Adams at the Heritage Center in Morrisville, Pa.


   On July 4, 1826, America celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It was also a day of mourning for the country, as two of the document’s esteemed signers, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, died on that very same day.
   Hundreds of miles apart, but tied together through decades of political and personal involvement, these two men passed on knowing the seeds of their great experiment had taken root.
   Howard Ginsberg’s play, Jefferson and Adams, explores the relationship between the second and third presidents of the United States through their correspondence, along with letters from Abigail Adams and Dr. Benjamin Rush. The work will be presented by Actors’ NET of Bucks County at the Heritage Center in Morrisville, Pa., Jan. 17-Feb. 2.
   Returning to the stage as the irascible John Adams, Joe Doyle has found a new manifestation for the character he previously honed in the company’s productions of 1776 and as a historical actor for ceremonies in Manhattan and Washington, D.C. The play, passed to Mr. Doyle through the Historical Theatre Company of Philadelphia, was a perfect fit for Actors’ NET, which has several historical dramas under its belt.
   Because of the play’s intimate staging and use of period dialogue, Jefferson and Adams is well suited to the 65-seat Heritage Center, which Mr. Doyle and his wife, Cheryl, have transformed from a municipal garage into an active theater. He feels the experience of achieving that vision gives him some insight into what the founding fathers were up against.
   "From the first few struggling years of trying to get a theater company up, I could totally identify with much of the trials and tribulations of trying to tell people that it could be done," says Mr. Doyle, who also directs the play. "I stood before Borough Council and I asked them to picture having a theater and training for young people.
   "In (Jefferson and Adams’) case, it was breaking from England. In our case, it was having a theater company in a garage. And these things have come to pass, and it has been a kick. But if I have this much pride in being able to start a theater company, imagine what it would be like to found a country."

"Todd
Thomas Jefferson (Todd Reichart) and John Adams (Joe Doyle) were both partners and adversaries over the five decades spanned by the play.


   It is difficult to imagine the weight of such an accomplishment, but the play does allow the audience to gain insight into the thoughts of these historical giants. The two men were both partners and adversaries over the five decades spanned by the play. From their early efforts to unify the colonies against the British to their bitter rivalry as political adversaries, the two men developed a kinship born of a common fight.
   During Adams’ presidency, from 1797 to 1801, he carried on the Federalist agenda by favoring a strong central government that favored growth of industry, banking and trade. On the other hand, Jefferson, who served as his vice-president, promoted a reduction in the size and cost of federal government and abhorred the development of an urban, industrial society. In the 1800 presidential election, Jefferson, supported by the Republicans, beat Adams by a narrow margin. It was the first transfer of power between parties in the history of the states, proving that even in disagreement the nation was united. Through their attraction and opposition, Mr. Ginsberg is able to illuminate the philosophical battles that continued long after the revolution. It was not a clear path to an enlightened future, but a struggle of determination and will marked by ego and experience.
   "The playwright has created a wonderful opportunity to begin to understand some of the human foundations and connections that were at the beginnings of our nation," says Todd Reichart, who plays Thomas Jefferson. "The play is adapted from the real-life correspondence from these individuals, so an audience can leave this play not worried about needing to discern truth from fiction.
   "This is something that will give real insight into these relationships. The play has a lot of truth about those human connections. This is a great opportunity to get to know the American beginnings and what the American dream is."

"K.T.
Throughout the play, Abigail Adams (K.T. Tomlinson, left above), provides a bridge between the two men that allows them to recognize their mutual humanity.


   Mr. Reichart, who played Jefferson in the Actors’ NET production of Christmas at Summerseat for the past two seasons, has had ample chance to explore Jefferson’s character. While he was committed to intellectual pursuits, Jefferson also was a Southern plantation owner with an elegant style influenced by his experiences in Paris. This stands in stark contrast to Adams, a stocky, conservatively dressed New Englander with an impulsive temperament. Physical and ideological differences aside, they were inextricably linked in their commitment to the nation’s future.
   "I think that they were both deeply passionate men, passionate about the American experiment," Mr. Reichart says. "They differed as to the ideal form of government, but it was about the ideal that America was going to be a place of unprecedented liberty and opportunity, and I think they had a real understanding of what the American Empire could be. These men absolutely had vision and a passion for what America could become and gave a foundation to the American experience."
   But no one man is an empire, and it was only through the process of dissent and debate that the issues they confronted could be resolved.
   "The man that Adams became was because of influential people like Jefferson and vice versa," Mr. Doyle says. "When intellectuals get together and they spar, they get to test the stability of their own beliefs and how firmly they believe in their convictions by whether the other can sway them from their course.
   "In both the case of Jefferson and Adams, they were more pigheaded than they needed to be because they did not want to concede their points of view. It is fortuitous that Dr. Benjamin Rush and Abigail Adams were able to prod these men into an understanding."
   Throughout the play, Abigail Adams, played by K.T. Tomlinson, provides a bridge between the two men that allows them to recognize their mutual humanity.
   "In the relationship between the Adamses and Jefferson, I think she brought a softer, more sympathetic side," says Ms. Tomlinson, who has performed in the Actors’ NET productions of Sunrise at Campobello as Eleanor Roosevelt, and most recently as Timothea Stiles in Sea Marks. "You do see her offering her condolences to Jefferson after the death of his child and helping with his children when (the Adamses) came to France. I think she gave that perspective to her husband, as well. It adds some interesting counterpoint to these very strong male characters to have a strong woman character, but also adds to the sentiment and affection between all three of them."
   In the very spirit of the country that they set out to build, Jefferson and Adams were able to accept the commonality between them and their right to differ in their beliefs. Like the American Revolution itself, these men also were able to find peace in the aftermath of their battles. In their final days, they had laid to rest the conflicts that divided them and were spirited away to make room for the future they both envisioned.
Jefferson and Adams runs at the Heritage Center, 635 N. Delmorr Ave., Morrisville, Pa., Jan. 17-Feb. 2. Performances: Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 6 p.m. Tickets cost $12, $10 seniors and children. For information, call (215) 295-3694. On the Web: www.actorsnetbucks.org