I am often asked when I do portrayals as Abraham Lincoln, how do I feel when I am in the role, getting into the role. First, I have a costume if you want to call it that. I dress like Abraham Lincoln dressed. When I do my play for example, for lack of a better way to say it, it’s a term that is sometime used today: I truly try to channel Lincoln and who he was, how he thought, and how he spoke. It is interesting that all we can do now is to look back and try and think how he must have sounded when he spoke.
Many call Abraham Lincoln’s voice high pitched at the time. It obviously carried far because he spoke without microphones to thousands of people. In seeing and reading about the descriptions of his voice, I do try to imitate his voice and be Abraham Lincoln. Get in character as actors would say it. Getting in character leads me to really appreciate this great man and who he was, the struggles he had, overcoming no education later to become what is without debate, our greatest president.
To not only take Lincoln and his speeches, my play and what I present, really are Abraham Lincolns words. Of course, when I go to present in front of schools and kids, I talk about how Lincoln loved pets and his love of animals, standing up to bullies, his doing what is right, and being honest. Then, after I portray Abraham Lincoln, it is a reminder to me to ask myself, “What would Lincoln do?” in many of the decision I am confronted with in my law practice. Lincoln was a trial lawyer right up to the time he became our 16th president. What I think when I am doing my play is just being Abraham Lincoln as best as I can within his words and portraying his words in those times as Abraham Lincoln. Our greatest president.
For the Audio version, click link: https://anchor.fm/glynn-gilcrease/episodes/What-Does-Being-Lincoln-Feel-Like-et7vjb
