MEEKER I To commemorate the sesquicentennial anniversary of the presidency and life history of Abraham Lincoln, one of America’s greatest presidents, the Meeker Arts and Cultural Council and the Rio Blanco County Historical Society will cooperatively sponsor a reenactment by John Voehl of Littleton, Colo.
Voehl is a nationally renowned Abraham Lincoln presenter and will appear in an evening community production on Thursday, March 14, at 7 p.m. at the Meeker High School auditorium at 550 School St. The production is free to the public. Two shows for students at the Meeker schools will be presented during the day on March 15. Funding for the event has been secured through the generosity of the Freeman Fairfield Charitable Trust.
Those who may have seen director Steven Spielberg’s film “Lincoln,” which received the Academy Award for best actor (Daniel Day Lewis), will be especially appreciative of this live performance.
Media quotes on Voehl’s performances include:
“Voehl is living history as the 16th president of the United States. He has become an expert on the man who fought to guarantee that all men are treated equal. ‘They (the kids) were enthralled with Lincoln, It wasn’t me, it was Lincoln,’ Voehl said.” (Byron Reed photojournalist, Channel 9 News, Denver, Feb. 5, 2010)
“Imagine hearing and watching Abraham Lincoln recite the Emancipation Proclamation and showing you the speech in his own handwriting. All this happened when John Voehl visited fifth grade students at Johnson Elementary. ‘The privilege I have is to have history come alive for them’, Voehl said.” (Denver Herald-Dispatch, Feb. 28, 2008)
“John Voehl is among 124 men who are officially designated as Abraham Lincoln presenters. He began earnestly researching Lincoln’s life, checking out books at Jefferson County libraries and surfing the Internet. He noticed parallels between his life and Lincoln’s . . . “ (Claire Martin, Denver Post staff writer, Feb. 12, 2002)
All are cordially invited and welcomed to attend this pivotal and outstanding performance.
For more information on John Voehl productions, visit his website:www.abelincolnalive.com.
For questions about the Meeker Arts and Cultural Council, contact Gary Zellers at 970-878-0554 or email info@meekerartsandcultural. org.