Linkin’ the present to the past

By Maura Vizza

Evergreen Park resident Michael Krebs claims he is “a great deal more handsome” than Abraham Lincoln, but when he grows a beard he does resemble the United States’ 16th president.

Krebs, 51, is the same age Lincoln was when the one-time lawyer from Illinois first took office as president in 1861.

Krebs portrays Lincoln at schools and special events through an educational program he offers. He is sometimes hired to simply meet and greet people at events, he said.

The program takes Krebs, as Lincoln, and occasionally actress Deborah Ann Miller, as Mary Todd Lincoln, to venues where they tell stories about the Lincolns’ lives, the Civil War and issues of the time in which they lived. Then a question-and-answer session follows where they answer either as the Lincolns or themselves, depending on the question, he said.

“Whatever stupid question they throw at me, I don’t embarrass them, I give an answer every student can learn from,” Krebs said. “I’m kind of the warm-up to trips to Springfield [for students], to learn about him, how funny he was instead of [them] going cold with no idea what he was like. They need to see [the Lincolns] were real people. We fill that need, that niche for those that can’t afford to go on field trips.”

Krebs said he never expected to portray the Great Emancipator for schoolchildren, but said he found a love for theater when he was young. By the time he was in junior high school Krebs said he was being cast in the lead role in class plays.

“My mom said, ‘If he had not found theater, God knows what would have happened,” laughed Krebs.

After graduating with a degree in theater from Western Illinois University, Krebs worked at the now-closed New American Theater in Rockford.

In the back of his mind Krebs said the same questions popped up — “Why aren’t you doing Lincoln? Why don’t you have a program?” He took into consideration similarities he shared with the president, such as being the same height at 6 feet 4 inches. Krebs’ parents divorced when he was young and he became estranged from his father; Lincoln’s mother died when he was young and he was estranged from his father.

Both also came from poorer families and eventually became successful, Krebs said. In Krebs’ hometown of Freeport, Lincoln was a popular figure because he participated in a political debate there.

Krebs moved to Chicago, “out with his little lunchbox doing auditions,” he said. One day James Clark, an old college buddy and playwright, spotted Krebs and the two talked for hours, Krebs recalled. During their conversation Krebs mentioned his need for a Lincoln play. Only one such play existed, and it did not have any dialogue between Lincoln and his wife, he said.

There is no written record of dialogue between Lincoln and Mary Todd, only information from their diaries and letters to friends, explained Krebs. He and Clark gathered these historical documents to create a conversation between the president and his wife that transformed into a four-character play — “Visiting the Lincolns.” By 1994 the play became a reality and Krebs has been portraying Lincoln ever since.

The premise of the play is the last afternoon of Lincoln’s life, about which there is little information, Krebs said. The play was eventually whittled down to a two-character show where the audience becomes the “unexpected guest” at the White House. Lincoln and Mary Todd interact with each other based on information known from that time.

Krebs had another opportunity to portray Lincoln in 1994 when cable station C-Span came to Illinois to film re-enactments of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Lincoln ran for an Illinois senator seat against Stephen Douglas in 1858, but lost the election. Although reenactments were held throughout Illinois, the one Krebs participated in at Knox College in Galesburg became a television favorite, said Krebs. He shaved his beard for the part and memorized a 1½-hour speech and another actor gave a 1½-hour speech as Douglas. The program is still televised occasionally, Krebs added.

“I got phone calls off the hook. It predated e-mail and everyone wanted to get a hold of me,” recalled Krebs. “People were interested in the history of Illinois and asked if there was another Lincoln venue where [I perform].”

In response, Krebs performed the play in Galesburg. Eventually, it was refined into an educational program, he said.

“In the last 10 years it’s all I’ve had to do, no other parttime job. It’s a blast, I can’t see doing anything else in theater,” Krebs said. “I’ve been lucky. You’re only as good as your last job. So people recommend me.”

As an actor Krebs said he is “the luckiest guy alive” to do what he does and claimed he is not good at much else.

“I’m terrible at everything else I do and I’ve had so many bosses say I’m just terrible and hoped I got into theater,” laughed Krebs. “It makes my mom proud. She raised me and didn’t know what would happen to me.”

Krebs said he has worked on Lincoln’s dialect and done extensive research to make his portrayal of Abe authentic.

Krebs said he has viewers documents and archives on the president from places like Ford Theater — where Lincoln was shot — and the Chicago Historical Society, some of which have never been seen by the public or published, he explained.

“Standing next to [artifacts], you can’t help but be awed. Whenever you brush up by these artifacts you’re overwhelmed by the history,” said Krebs. “[History] I feel is very important to us. Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.”

Krebs also appears at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield and on television news programs including “Good Morning America.” He has met Michael Jordan and former President Bill Clinton through his work.

Krebs said he loves his job and does not usually mind when people make comments or stare at him around town. Occasionally on vacations he will shave his beard and “fade to anonymity.” Sometimes his wife will run errands when he needs a break from the attention, but he doesn’t plan to talk and strut like Lincoln forever.

“As I age I don’t want to do it past a certain point,” said Krebs. “It doesn’t work, a 75-year-old guy playing Lincoln. When I cross that line I’ll stop doing it. The name has paid me and I’m not going to smear his name to make a dollar.”

This is part of the June 28, 2007 online edition of The Reporter.

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