Carl Sandburg Visits In Tandem Theatre For a World Premiere

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Photo Credit: Mark Frohna

He was a poet, a writer, an editor. A soldier, a hobo, a folksinger. He was a man of endless talent and a keen observer of American life in the early 20th century. He was Carl Sandburg. And his clever wit and multi-faceted writing have been brought to the stage showcasing an extraordinary life in The Eagle in Me: An Evening of Carl Sandburg at In Tandem Theatre.

In a world premiere conceived, adapted and performed by veteran actor and playwright Jonathan Gillard Daly, the man who was best known as a poet becomes so much more given Daly’s own passion and innate understanding of one of America’s finest writers and observers of the world around him.

In this two-hour production Daly’s “21st century tribute” to Sandburg is poetry in motion itself, quoting extensively from his works as well as his writings. It soars and flies under the imaginative direction and staging by Gale Childs Daly (the actor’s wife). And we come to understand just how Sandburg came about writing some of his most famous works. This adaptation educates as well as engages, for example, as we learn about Sandburg’s Socialist leanings and how it gets him “accidentally” into trouble with the law as a reporter in a foreign country.

One of the many delightful parts in The Eagle In Me comes at the very end of the play, as we watch Daly play multiple characters within minutes as part of a children’s story. It’s funny, charming and showcases Daly’s many talents as an actor, a mirror image of the man he is portraying. “I don’t know where I’m going. But I’m on my way,” is one of Sandburg’s humorous quotes used in the play. The Eagle in Me shows us the adventure and the joy of getting there—and what we discover along the way.

Through Oct. 21 at Tenth Street Theater, 628 N. 10th St. For tickets visit www.intandemtheatre.org.