|
10/6/04 a man of history: through fred krebs, famous people become real again Bettie Turner
Fred Krebs, Professor of History at Johnson County Community College, makes history come alive as he “becomes” famous people of the past. On a July afternoon last summer, Krebs brought his Stephen Douglas portrayal to the Gardner Museum and Historical Society. Krebs introduced Douglas by mingling with the audience before his speech and, as he said, “pressing the flesh.” “Hello, I’m Stephen Douglas,” he said again and again, holding out his hand. The young lawyer was a senator from Illinois in the mid-1800s. He was nicknamed “the little giant” because he was only five feet, four-inches tall. But he enhanced his stature with well-made clothing and a top hat. “He was an enormous orator and dressed the part,” said Krebs. As Douglas, Krebs wore a black frock-coat and top hat. He spoke as Douglas would have of “Bleeding Kansas” in the 1850s when pro- and anti-slavery activists maneuvered to gain political control of the territories as they became states. Douglas proposed “popular sovereignty.” His plan called for each territory to have the right to decide whether it would be a slave or free state. In 1858, Douglas debated Abraham Lincoln when they were opponents for Illinois Senator. In the debates, Lincoln looked at slavery as a moral issue. Douglas considered it a legal problem to be settled by compromise. The debates helped Douglas win re-election to the Senate and made Lincoln a national figure. In 1860, the two were opposing candidates for President of the United States. This time, Lincoln won the race. At the inauguration, however, Douglas held Lincoln’s hat. Later, he visited the President in the White House and pledged his support for the Union. Douglas was exhausted, and a few months later he died. “He was worn out,” Krebs said, “from traveling the border states urging citizens to preserve the Union.” Douglas did not live to see the Civil War that almost destroyed it. Hours of research and reading go into each characterization Krebs does. Others include Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, William Allen White, Kit Carson and Carl Sandburg. His next may be Galileo. His wife, Barbara, says her favorite is William A. White. “My favorite is the one I’m doing at the time,” Krebs said. The Kansas Humanities Council is responsible for Krebs’ public appearances. He is one of a dozen scholars who have “honoraria” from the Council to travel about the states patterns its programs after the traveling Chautauquas of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which took their shows on the road to entertain and educate people throughout the nation. During 2004, the Council’s programs marked the 150th anniversary of Kansas becoming a territory. A show called “From Sea to Shining Sea” will be shown in several Kansas cities in 2005 and 2006. The Kansas Humanities Council partners with the Great Plains Chautauqua that performs in Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and the Dakotas. For more information on the Kansas Humanities Council or to book a program or characterization, call toll-free 1-800-562-8057; or Deborah Pomeroy, Resource Center Coordinator, 785-357-0359. The web site is www.kansashumanities.org. © University of Kansas Medical Center, Center on Aging, October, 2004.
|
