Carl Sandburg's Abraham Lincoln: A Living Portrait

This is a FREE PUBLIC EVENT is brought to you by Carl Sandburg College. 

The evening is full of stories and scenes in Sandburg's cozy but cluttered writing den. During the play, while Lincoln struggles to save a nation, we also see Sandburg struggle against both critics and fate to finish the biography. The play lets Sandburg make his case for why we still need Lincoln for our time or any other era. Sandburg, the journalist and poet, describes Lincoln's face, clothes and hat vividly, it's as if you see Lincoln passing you on the street. Sandburg's words launch Lincoln off the written page and animate him for you.

The play uses Sandburg's resonant writing to put you in the picture frames of Lincoln history. Steve Duchrow, who performs the play says, "Sandburg makes you feel like you are there." You peek over Abe's shoulder to read his private, never published thoughts on slavery. You stand by the stage among thousands at a Lincoln-Douglas debate. You watch as a raw, new President, takes the ship's wheel during an unprecedented, "lashing hurricane" as our democracy is capsizing.

Duchrow continued, "No matter the pressure facing Lincoln, he never stopped seeing everyday people in his office. People slept in the lobby each day and thousands rushed into his office seeking favors. "It's a powerful story of forbearance and humility by a President. Lincoln shows us the traits the people want to see in today’s leaders.”

Duchrow says, "Telling Lincoln's story as the character of Sandburg is a privilege and an exercise in humility. I get to use the gift Sandburg and Lincoln's words. They were masters of language. They shaped words with hammers and anvils and forged them  into sentences rInging with meaning. Their words have a power when spoken. So, each scene and story in the play carries a force that creates an enjoyable evening for listeners."

About Steve Duchrow - Performer

Steve Duchrow is one of the few people reading The Collected Letters of Carl Sandburg on a beach vacation.

Steve writes, adapts and performs theatre works. He adapted 2 plays of two prairie poets, Carl Sandburg and Vachel Lindsay. His newest work is: Carl Sandburg’s Lincoln: A Living Portrait. This play is a vivid evening of stories of Lincoln through the eyes and ears of Pulitzer Prize poet Carl Sandburg. The play puts you in Sandburg’s cozy but cluttered studio and in the audience for Sandburg’s famous national performance tours. Most notably, the show was featured at the Northern Illinois University Art Museum’s event “Making Our History – Artists Render Lincoln’s Legacies”. Northern Illinois University Art Museum, Director, Josephine Burke said, “Steve delighted our guests with his believable rendition of Carl Sandburg and keen insights about Abraham Lincoln. He brought both beloved characters to life.”

Steve also performs an original play called Vachel Lindsay: Peddler of Dreams. The play puts you on Lindsay’s shoulder as he walks alone and penniless across thousands of dirt road miles witnessing America in the early 1900’s. This show won the Chicago Fringe Festival’s designation as the fastest show to sell out all performances.

Steve has performed for the Illinois Humanities Council’s “Walt Whitman at 200” celebration and The Dana Thomas Home, a Frank Lloyd Wright Historic Home,

He has performed at the historic, Vachel Lindsay home, in front of the Old State Capitol, in Springfield, IL, the Illinois State Library, the DeKalb Public Library, the Northern Illinois University Art Museum, the Northern Illinois University Life-Long Learning Program and Elgin Community College’s, Socrates Café. He has performed at outdoor festivals including the Amaranth Apple Festival, in Springfield, IL and The Sandwich County Fair and museums and libraries. He is also a musician and guitarist who has performed at The Prairie State Winery, Blumen Gardens and outdoor festivals.

Steve is no stranger to performance environments as he worked in the arts for over thirty-five years as a director of performing arts centers in Illinois.  He was awarded Arts Presenter of the Year by the North American Performers Arts Managers and Agents for national excellence in presenting the arts. He presented such noted actors as John Lithgow and Ed Asner and musicians Tommy Emmanuel, B.B. King, Wynton Marsalis and Booker T. Steve’s expertise is in not-for profit organizations and arts organization management, presenting performing arts events, curating community-based events, organizing artist residencies, and building the arts in small cities and communities.