Great Again?

Did you ever want to be in the White House press pool and ask the current occupant of the Oval Office whatever you wanted and you knew you wouldn’t be escorted from the room and your safety would be assured? Last night I had the opportunity to do that in the form of a local performance held at Pebble Hill Church of a new play called Great Again? It is a two man show featuring Derek Marshall as Trump and Michael Shoeman as fictional podcaster Greg Fullerton who is the only trusted journalist that has been permitted to lob some hardball questions without being called ‘fake news,’ or being accused of trying to make the president with the fragile ego look bad. I was delighted to be there for so many reasons. 1. I know these two men; Derek since childhood and Mike for a few years and I wanted to see their brilliance on display. 2. I needed to be in the presence of kindred spirits in these perilous times. 3. I wanted to get a sense of what could be possible if Trump would allow himself to be vulnerable enough to let someone see behind the façade. Mike, a professional actor has asked the question, “Does theater have the power to change our political destiny?” My answer is a resounding YES!

What was evident was that ‘we the people’ have legitimate questions that deserve straightforward answers. Trump has said that he is a transparent person and for years, I have shaken my head at that. I never thought I would agree with him about anything, but he may be right. His intentions are as clear as a window pane. He has a deep desire to be loved best of all, even though he has done nothing to earn actual love. Fear? Yes. Some respect from people who feel he represents their interests, for as long as he does. Even so, they are getting fewer and fewer with the increased cost of living and decreased sense of safety that he is fomenting. Sycophantic loyalty? Yup. It is especially true for those who want proximity to power and who reap the benefits of his financial largesse.

All of those dynamics were on stage along with the actors and among the audience members. I was wearing a t-shirt that read WHEN HATE IS LOUD, LOVE MUST BE LOUDER. I raised my hand, was given a microphone and asked questions I have been formulating for years. Mine were about his emotional makeup beneath the physical (orange) mask he wears. As a therapist, I am fascinated with what makes people tick. I reminded him that he has the opportunity to be a servant leader, like Jimmy Carter who was beloved. He agreed with my assessment of President Carter, which was shocking. Perhaps because he never thought to compare himself to the humble peanut farmer turned world leader, his legacy was no threat. I told him about my Hugmobster work, through which I offer FREE HUGS to bring people together across all divides. Over the years, I have been asked  by several people if I would be willing to hug him. I said that I would but would need to take a shower afterward. Last night, I offered the stage version a hug and his response was one of fear that I would be carrying a gun or explosives. I assured him that I wasn’t. My friend Gary Schoenberg who played a convincing Secret Service agent, did a pat down to reinforce that what I said was true. He reluctantly agreed to a hug which was awkward and half hearted from him. I guess I wasn’t his ‘type’. Too old and rocking purple hair.  (:  Oh, and he didn’t call me a ‘nasty woman,’ which was a bit disappointing. Even so, perhaps, in a fictional presentation, a wall came down for a man who never felt truly loved as a human being.

Others in the audience asked more pointed policy questions that he dodged as expected. Since this was improvised and Derek had no idea what we would be asking, he responded in a brilliantly Trump-esque fashion with his weave, repetition, deflection and incendiary rhetoric. His mannerisms and facial contortions were spot on. Amazing for a 30-something young man portraying an octogenarian.

For the next hour, we were treated to a conversation which they refer to as “the Frost/Nixon inspired interview between the President and podcaster Greg Fullerton.” Mike/Greg’s intention was to see if he could humanize Trump and attempt to have him become thoughtful instead of bombastic. The stage version of Trump maintained his bravado and insistence that he was right and the rest of previous Presidents were wrong, especially his predecessor Joe Biden. ‘Greg’ asked questions about Iran, Israel, Gaza, the economy, his relationship with his daughter Ivanka, the Epstein Files and the Cornell 7. He sleazed his way through the responses about his daughter and tap danced his way around the other queries.

Mike’s thoughtful and thorough inquiries seemingly put ‘Trump’ at his ease and not on the defensive. Job well done. Would that a real life journalist get to the heart of the man whose own insecurities threaten us all.

As the show was winding down, it was evident that ‘Trump’ was too and as could have been expected, he nodded off at the end.

Mike and Derek would like to take the show on the road, so if you know of places that could host them, reach out. [email protected]

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