Kandis Chappell plays Eleanor Roosevelt in Eleanor, a one-woman show (written by Mark St. Germaine and directed by David Ellenstein) that takes audiences beyond the history lesson of one of America’s most celebrated activists. Presented in Ventura by the Rubicon Theatre Company, Eleanor shares the political figure’s private thoughts, putting her story into greater emotional context.
Set in the cemetery after Eleanor’s death, Chappell plays Eleanor’s untethered spirit, auditing her life’s choices before she can rest. “We get to know Eleanor as a woman, as a person,” says Chappell, “not just a historical figure. It’s about what shaped her.” Throughout the narrative, Chappell also plays more than a dozen other figures from the protagonist’s life, including her husband, Franklin; her longtime friend (“friend”?), reporter Lorena Hickok; and “Uncle Teddy.”
While many know Eleanor Roosevelt as the First Lady who brought the nation through depression and war, her life’s work as a public servant and humanitarian began early in the century — and continued long after Franklin Roosevelt’s death. She was a proponent for civil rights and worked with the League of Women Voters during the suffrage movement, as well as being the first female delegate to the United Nations. Chappell remembers Eleanor being listed as Gallup’s most admired woman of the year for many years running. “She was known for having great compassion,” she says. “She stood up for the people without a voice.”
Chappell continues, “Come meet a very interesting woman, and take the emotional journey with her.”
See Eleanor at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura (1006 E. Main St., Ventura), May 13-31. See rubicontheatre.org/events/eleanor.
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