February is to people who portray Abraham Lincoln what April is to accountants. “I have 45 appearances scheduled for next month,” said Kevin Wood, who does first-person portrayals of the 16th president. On Feb. 12, Wood will present “A New Birth of Freedom: Abraham Lincoln’s Abiding Call” at the Prairie Center for the Arts in Schaumburg.
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Wood stays in character as the president for the entire performance, and brings Lincoln to life year-round primarily at schools, libraries and senior centers.
But it all started with his church when Wood lived in Pennsylvania. In 2000, Wood, who is 6 foot 3 inches tall, was in the midst of his ministry internship, which obligated him to preach once a month. “February came around, and I had always wanted to research what Abraham Lincoln’s religious beliefs were,” Wood shared. “There was a lot of debate around that.” A parishioner saw his presentation and asked if Wood would bring his Lincoln to their school.
“A New Birth of Freedom” offers a panoramic view of the history of the United States from independence to the Civil War. In putting these events in context, Wood focuses on the years beginning in 1854, when Lincoln was compelled to come out of his political retirement in response to the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which, in part, allowed for the extension of slavery.
The program, comprised mostly of Lincoln’s writing and speeches, blends the historical with the personal, Wood said. “A lot of it is Mr. Lincoln’s own story. Most people know that he grew up poor in a log cabin on the frontier and how he didn’t get much of a formal education. I explore what motivated his great desire to learn.”
Wood is a native of Michigan, but his fascination with Lincoln began when his family moved near Metamora, Ill. when he was 11. The courthouse in the town located outside of Peoria was one of Lincoln’s stops when he was a lawyer. “The courthouse is only one of two still standing from Lincoln’s day,” Wood noted. “It’s a state historical site and there is a lot of memorabilia there. That was my introduction to Lincoln.”
Wood and his family lived in Spain for a decade beginning in 2003, but they moved back to the United States and settled in — where else? — the Land of Lincoln when two of his three daughters were accepted into the University of Chicago.
The former employee of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has enjoyed many memorable moments as Lincoln such as participating in a naturalization service for new American citizens in Pennsylvania.
At the conclusion of “A New Birth of Freedom,” Wood, as Lincoln, takes questions from the audience. These days, you can guess what, or who, he is most asked about. “I’m in character,” Wood reiterated, “and so I cannot directly answer any questions about Donald Trump. The Clinton name is more familiar. DeWitt Clinton (no relation to Hillary) was the Governor of New York and was behind the Erie Canal. Lincoln wanted to be known as the DeWitt Clinton of Illinois.”
But while his Abraham Lincoln could not be familiar with Donald Trump, Wood notes, he is well-versed in issues that still resonate today, such as immigration. “It was a big deal in the 1850s,” Wood said.
‘A New Birth of Freedom: Abraham Lincoln’s Abiding Call’
When: 2 p.m. Feb. 12
Where: Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg
Tickets: $10
Contact: 847-895-3600; www.prairiecenter.org