EDISON – Bishop George Ahr High School is holding an exciting first person interpretation program “Franklin Delano Roosevelt: An Arsenal for Democracy,” portrayed by Neill Hartley on Thursday, Feb. 9, at 7:30 p.m. in the school’s Little Theater located at One Tingley Lane.
The presentation is part of the Bishop Ahr’s 2016-2017 Speaker Series focused on the social sciences and is open to the public. This program is funded by the Horizons Speakers Bureau of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the program is produced by the American Historical Theatre.
The date is Dec. 29, 1940. Franklin Delano Roosevelt has just been re-elected to an unprecedented third term in office. But the world is in a crisis. Nazi Germany has blazed the path of destruction across Europe, and America may soon be drawn into war.
Watch this famous moment come to life, as you meet with the President just prior to his delivery of the famous “Arsenal of Democracy” speech. Learn what President Roosevelt was thinking, and listen to his plea for the support of our allies. Come experience first-hand the history that shaped our nation.
Neill Hartley is Franklin Delano Roosevelt in this fully-staged historical presentation that will entertain and educate audiences from school age to adult. Following the presentation, there will be time for comments and questions for the one of the most influential presidents of all time.
Actor, director, spokesperson and teacher, Neill Hartley has been a college faculty member for almost three decades. He is presently teaching speech and voice at the University of the Arts and serves as a speech and dialect coach for several professional theaters. Hartley won a Barrymore Award for Ensemble for 1812 Productions’ Batboy, The Musical. He is the artistic director of Acting Without Boundaries, which provides large- scale musical opportunities for physically-disabled teens and young adults. Hartley has also appeared in commercials and feature films. Venues which have produced his one man shows include the Tweeter Center, Academy of Music, Act II Playhouse, Walnut Street Theater Studio 3, Congress Hall, Smithsonian Institution, and the American Glider Council.
The Speaker Series was initiated by Susan Paluskiewicz, the school’s teacher-mentor coordinator. “Many of our students go on to pursue degrees in areas of history, psychology, political science and other areas,” Paluskiewicz explained. “We are thrilled to partner with the New Jersey Council for the Humanities to be able to host speakers who will cover some interesting and compelling topics in these areas.”
Admission is free, however seating is limited. The program runs for approximately 90 minutes. Those interested in attending should contact Paluskiewicz at 732-549-1108, ext. 608, or by email at [email protected].