News from
For IMMEDIATE Release
Office of Marketing and Communication
ABAC 30, 2802 Moore Hwy
Tifton, GA 31793-2601
Phone 229-391-5055
Fax 229-391-5056
[email protected]
OCTOBER 25, 2016
Derek Evans Transforms into Teddy Roosevelt November 6 at ABAC
TIFTON- American icon Teddy Roosevelt comes alive on the Howard Auditorium stage
on Nov. 6 when actor Derek Evans performs his one-man show, “Man in the Arena,” at 3 p.m.
on the campus of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. The performance is part of the ABAC
Presents! Performing Arts Series.
Evans portrays Roosevelt in this riveting look at the life of the 26th president of the
United States. He has played Roosevelt in performances from the White House Visitor Center to
grade school classrooms, museums, and theaters across the United States.
A professional actor and scholar, Evans has forged a career of almost 40 years engaged in
educational presentations for schools, colleges, museums, and libraries. He has conservatory
training from the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, Calif., and from New York
University. A veteran of over 40 stage productions in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and San
Francisco, Evans received his bachelor’s and his master’s degrees from Northwestern University.
Dubbed “the most American American who ever lived,” Roosevelt’s colorful story goes
big and bold in “Man in the Arena,” showcasing all that Roosevelt held dear – loyalty and a just
and honorable America. Fiercely opinionated and powerful, he fought for the common man and
never practiced anything he did not preach.
Roosevelt’s favorite saying was “do what you can with what you’ve got, where you are”
although he is most associated with the saying, “speak softly and carry a big stick.”
Roosevelt struggled with issues that no other president before him had to face. He
handled problems regarding large scale labor disputes, created child labor laws, and was the first
person to understand that the nation’s forests were not endless, prompting him to set aside 230
million acres of land for public use.
Evans, who wrote part of the play, said he touches on things that Roosevelt did that he
thinks are important. His performance offers lessons in patriotism, self-reliance, family values,
and the conservation of our great natural resources, along with everything you ever wanted to
know about “The Teddy Bear.”
Other performances in the ABAC series include the National Players’ production of John
Steinbeck’s “Grapes of Wrath” in Howard Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Feb. 2, 2017, pianist Read
Gainsford on Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. in Howard Auditorium, the Albany Symphony Orchestra at 3
p.m. on March 26, 2017 at the Tift County High School Performing Arts Center, and trumpet
player Terell Stafford on April 20, 2017 at 7 p.m. in Howard Auditorium.
While available tickets will be sold at the door for each show, Arts Connection Director
Wayne Jones encourages advance purchase of tickets to ensure seating for patrons. Tickets for
the entire series are $75 for adults and $25 for students under 18 years of age. Individual tickets
for each event are $20 for adults and $10 each for students under 18 years of age. Tickets can be
purchased online at www.purplepass.com/abac or by phone at (229) 391-4895.
The ABAC performing arts series is supported in part by the Georgia Council for the
Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. Georgia Council for the Arts
also receives support from its partner agency - the National Endowment for the Arts.
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