Franklin Delano Roosevelt:
AN ARSENAL FOR DEMOCRACY
An Exciting First Person Interpretation Program

Portrayed by Neill Hartley

The date is December 29, 1940. Franklin Delano Roosevelt has just been re-elected to an unprecedented third term in office. But the world is in a crisis. Nazi Germany has blazed the path of destruction across Europe, and America may soon be drawn into war.

Watch this famous moment come to life, as you meet with the President just prior to his delivery of the famous “Arsenal of Democracy” speech. Learn what President Roosevelt was thinking, and listen to his plea for the support of our Allies. Experience first-hand the history that shaped our nation. Neill Hartley is Franklin Delano Roosevelt in this fully staged historical presentation that will entertain and educate you. Following the presentation, there will be time for comments and questions for one of the most influential presidents of all time.

Actor, Director, Spokesperson and Teacher, Neill Hartley earned a Master of Fine Arts from Temple University in Acting and was a faculty member there 1989-2000. Since 1994 he has been teaching Speech & Voice at the University of the Arts and is a speech and dialect coach for several professional theaters. As an actor he has performed with Arden Theater, InterAct Theatre, and the Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival, among others. Mr. Hartley won a Barrymore Award for Ensemble for 1812 Productions’ Batboy, The Musical. Neill is also a busy director for theaters which include Philadelphia Young Playwrights, University of the Arts, University of Pennsylvania, Arcadia University, Isis Productions, the Brick Theater and the Luna Theater. He is the Artistic Director of Acting Without Boundaries, which provides large-scale musical opportunities for physically-disabled teens and young adults. Neill also works in commercials, and feature films.

This event was booked through the NJ Council for the Humanities.