TR is the subject of a two-act play, The Bully Pulpit, to be performed by the South Ark Stage in a limited engagement. You may recognize the name of the director, Byam Stevens, whose father was the mayor of Muttontown for 25 years, and now lives in Cove Neck.

Byam Stevens Jr. and the playwright and star, Michael Smith recently visited Sagamore Hill for a special tour.

The off-Broadway production is about the extraordinary life and turbulent times of Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, our 26th president. Written and performed by Michael O. Smith and directed by Mr. Stevens, The Bully Pulpit began performances on Tuesday, April 29, at 7 p.m. at the Beckett Theatre, (410 W. 42nd Street, between 9th and 10th Ave.), with an opening night on Wednesday, May 14 at 7:30 p.m. and plays a limited engagement through Sunday, June 29, 2008. Tickets can be purchased by calling (212) 279-4200, or by visiting www.TicketCentral.com

The Bully Pulpit, an exploration through the extraordinary life of Teddy Roosevelt, received its first "reading" over 15 years ago in a Sunday school classroom that catered to individuals involved in the media. The class was given a task to choose an "American hero" and create a presentation about their ethics. Mr. Smith recalled stories from his grandfather, who was friends with John Philip Sousa, about the strong moral code of Teddy Roosevelt. Not only did Smith discover Roosevelt's unyielding ethics, but also found his passions, his failures and the humor with which he lived his whole life. What started out as 10-minute presentation is Los Angeles circa 1991 has evolved into a full two-act production now open in New York.

What was once a project in ethics has bloomed into an obsession into the emotional journey and fascinating man that was this state's 33rd governor and our nation's 26th President.

With a physical likeness to Roosevelt, Mr.Smith has developed a play that shows all facets of the man who is known as a president, but was also a rancher, writer, sportsman, environmentalist and adventurer. Now considered an authority on Theodore Roosevelt, Michael O Smith takes the audience behind Teddy's gruff exterior into the complex persona of a true American legend.

Byam Stevens Jr., the director, is from Oyster Bay and grew up attending the same church (Christ Church) that Roosevelt went to... in fact, his great-uncle was also a "Rough Rider."

The Bully Pulpit is set in the year 1918. The scene is set in Sagamore Hill, Roosevelt's beloved home. Ten years out of office and coming to grips with his legacy, The Bully Pulpit takes the audience on a passionate journey behind Teddy's gruff exterior into the complex persona of a true American legend. Taking place on Teddy's 60th birthday, surrounded by mementos of his adventures as a rancher, Rough Rider, naturalist and president, Roosevelt re-examines the events of his colorful life from humorous and characteristically blunt perspective.

The Bully Pulpit premiered at The Florida Playwrights Festival at Florida's Studio Theatre in 2004 and has played theaters throughout the country.

Michael O. Smith (writer, actor) won three Sarasota Critics' Awards for his portrayal of Herman Goering in 2: Goering at Nuremberg. Broadway and touring credits include: Dracula, The Elephant Man, Amadeus, 1776, and a founding member of Strasberg's Mirror Repertory with Geraldine Page and Sabra Jones. TV audiences know Smith from Evening Shade, Murder She Wrote, The Young and the Restless, Days of Our Lives and as a series regular on B.L. Stryker, as Chief McGee with Burt Reynolds.

Byam Stevens Jr., (director) is the artistic director of the Chester Theatre Company in Western Massachusetts. For CTC Byam has directed the world premieres of: The Plains of Ilion, The Darlings, Home Fires Burning, John and Teddy. Other productions for CTC: Grace, Two Rooms, The Nina Variations, Tea For Three, An Almost Holy Picture, Valley Song, The Interrogation of Nathan Hale, Shirley Valentine, and the American premiere of Sixteen Words For Water. Other directing credits include: the world premiere of Carbondale Dreams by Steven Sater, The Underlings by Tom Fontana and the American Premiere of Beef by David Pownall. He is a member of Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers (SSDC).