Theater Review:

What with Clinton, Obama and McCain talking our ears off all over the airwaves and two former presidents’ birthdays happening this month, ’tis the season for presidential stuff. So take a break from the knee-jerk political posturing on TV and take in the thoughtful and charming recollections of arguably the most amusing president of the United States in the new show at the Falcon Theatre, “The Memoirs of Abraham Lincoln.”

Granville Van Dusen is a master at playing Lincoln in this one-man show. He’s been doing it for a while under the direction of famed film director Delbert Mann (“Marty,” “That Touch of Mink”). Sadly, Mann passed away in November. The current production is ably directed by Jenny Sullivan but apparently retains much of the spirit of Mann’s original style.

There will always be speculation about Lincoln’s motives and true beliefs, but my guess is that for Lincoln scholars, of which I am not one, Van Dusen’s interpretation of Lincoln is intriguing and quite accurate. For Lincoln enthusiasts, of which I am one, this play is pure entertainment with a sprinkling of “gee, I didn’t know that” on top.

Van Dusen plays Abe with a twinkle in his eye (they actually twinkle!) and a sly grin as he recounts his early life, his marriage to Mary Todd, his relationships with loyal friends and back-stabbing colleagues, his hard choices during the Civil War, his final night at the Ford Theatre and many other aspects of his fascinating life. He often uses his famed knack for storytelling to get his point across. Every time he pipes up with “That reminds me of a story . . . ” the audience chuckles in delightful anticipation.

I can think of no improvement in Van Dusen’s performance. For those 90 or so minutes, he basically is Abraham Lincoln pouring out his heart to us. He keeps the interest level up with various stage movements that seem quite natural as well as vocal changes for the different characters he reminisces about.

The pleasing set features a presidential-looking desk, a podium and a chair in the center. A large screen behind occasionally shows images, but it might have been used to greater effect. Lighting designer Nick McCord creates a warm environment and uses smooth lighting changes to help transition between segments in the script.