MONROE - Mrs. Abraham Lincoln made a visit to the Behring Senior Center Wednesday.
It wasn't the real Mary Todd Lincoln, but for more than an hour Jessica Michna, Racine, made the audience forget it was 2008 and took them back to the 1870s.
Michna, who has portrayed the First Lady for seven years, told stories about Mary Lincoln, her famous family and what it was like to live during one of the most critical times in America's history.
She's appeared before historical societies, schools, senior centers, church groups and Civil War roundtables.
"Mary Lincoln was one of the most misunderstood First Lady's in our country's history," Michna said after the one-woman performance. "I try to present her as a human being with all her faults, but I also try to show how much she helped Mr. Lincoln."
Michna dressed in the same type of mourning clothes that Mrs. Lincoln would have worn following the assassination of her husband in 1865. And she had a slight southern accent, which was probably similar to the voice of Mrs. Lincoln, who was born and raised in Kentucky.
Her efforts to look the part paid off as the audience listened closely to her stories.
At times she had the audience laughing as she told stories about Lincoln. As Mary Lincoln, Michna talked about the first time she met Lincoln.
"He told me he wanted to dance with me in the worst way," she said with a slight smile, "and he did."
She also talked about the Lincoln's four children. The third son, William, was just like his father, she said, conveying a sense of pride that history books record the real Mrs. Lincoln felt in her son. She talked about their fourth child, Thomas, who was known as "Tad."
"His father said he looked like a tadpole because he had a big head and little legs," she said while the audience chuckled.
She was also able to move the audience. There was not a sound when she talked about the deaths of her three sons, Edward, William and Thomas. All of them died very young. Edward died before the Lincolns entered the White House; William "Willie" died while Lincoln was president; and Tad died a few years after Lincoln. All their deaths deeply hurt Mrs. Lincoln, Michna explained quietly, playing the role so convincingly for her audience.
Only after the performance did Michna break character to answer a few questions from the audience.
Michna also portrays Eleanor Roosevelt and will soon perform as Abigail Adams.
"I try to show the audience what these woman were like and what they went through," she said.
It wasn't the real Mary Todd Lincoln, but for more than an hour Jessica Michna, Racine, made the audience forget it was 2008 and took them back to the 1870s.
Michna, who has portrayed the First Lady for seven years, told stories about Mary Lincoln, her famous family and what it was like to live during one of the most critical times in America's history.
She's appeared before historical societies, schools, senior centers, church groups and Civil War roundtables.
"Mary Lincoln was one of the most misunderstood First Lady's in our country's history," Michna said after the one-woman performance. "I try to present her as a human being with all her faults, but I also try to show how much she helped Mr. Lincoln."
Michna dressed in the same type of mourning clothes that Mrs. Lincoln would have worn following the assassination of her husband in 1865. And she had a slight southern accent, which was probably similar to the voice of Mrs. Lincoln, who was born and raised in Kentucky.
Her efforts to look the part paid off as the audience listened closely to her stories.
At times she had the audience laughing as she told stories about Lincoln. As Mary Lincoln, Michna talked about the first time she met Lincoln.
"He told me he wanted to dance with me in the worst way," she said with a slight smile, "and he did."
She also talked about the Lincoln's four children. The third son, William, was just like his father, she said, conveying a sense of pride that history books record the real Mrs. Lincoln felt in her son. She talked about their fourth child, Thomas, who was known as "Tad."
"His father said he looked like a tadpole because he had a big head and little legs," she said while the audience chuckled.
She was also able to move the audience. There was not a sound when she talked about the deaths of her three sons, Edward, William and Thomas. All of them died very young. Edward died before the Lincolns entered the White House; William "Willie" died while Lincoln was president; and Tad died a few years after Lincoln. All their deaths deeply hurt Mrs. Lincoln, Michna explained quietly, playing the role so convincingly for her audience.
Only after the performance did Michna break character to answer a few questions from the audience.
Michna also portrays Eleanor Roosevelt and will soon perform as Abigail Adams.
"I try to show the audience what these woman were like and what they went through," she said.