Abe Lincoln

My great-great Aunt: Elizabeth Risdon-Evans

Joseph Culliton played "Abe Lincoln",
(we spent a year at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Rep together).
Hollis Resnik played "Mary Todd Lincoln",
(we had been in undergraduate school together).

Wendy Barrie-Wilson played both Elizabeth Todd and Nancy Green.

My great-great Aunt Elizabeth Risdon and Raymond Massey in a 1939 still from the original film of the play.

Hollis Resnik and Wendy Barrie-Wilson
in Indiana Rep's production of Abe Lincoln.

My great-great Aunt Elizabeth Risdon and Uncle Brandon Evans were members of the Theatre Guild (Mrs. Patrick Campbell brought her over to America to work on a Shaw play, the story goes),and worked with Lunt and Fontanne on many plays. Often after Lyn Fontanne originated a role, like Nina in "Strange Interlude", my Aunt would then tour it around the country.

I have always wanted to do this play and the roles my Aunt did . The still is from a book by H.E. Barker, "Abraham Lincoln, His Life in Illinois", published 1940, with pictures from movie they did based on the play. Liz and Brandy were the only relatives that I knew to have been in The Biz. Liz is listed in Lincoln Center's Theatre archive files, where I understand many of her papers have been donated.

When there, you can view my autograph in the actors book that the librarians keep. (My signature is just below Baryshnikov's name.)

Letter from Helen Hayes to me.

Abe Lincoln actors at James Dean's home in Indiana