Историк Майкл Ромеро представит интерактивный спектакль о Теодоре Рузвельте в Сомале

Historical interpreter and performer Michael Romero will be featured in a free one-hour Chautauqua show about former President Theodore Roosevelt in Sonoma Community Center’s Andrews Hall on Saturday, Aug. 22. The performance, “Meet President Roosevelt!,” will be offered at 6 p.m. by the Sonoma Valley Historical Society. Romero will portray the former president talking about his famous trip to California in 1903. Chautauqua is a unique style of interactive theater in which an actor portrays a famous historical figure and answers audience questions in character. The actor then steps out of the role to speak as a historian. Romero, who attended Santa Rosa High School, became interested in portraying Roosevelt when he was cast in the role of Teddy Brewster — who is under the illusion that he is Roosevelt — in Healdsburg-based Raven Players’ production of “Arsenic and Old Lace.” His historical research for this role led to him reach out to Joe Wiegand, an ambassador for the Medora Theodore Roosevelt Foundation in North Dakota. Wiegand had performed as Theodore Roosevelt at the White House and in the IMAX film, “National Parks Adventure.” The encounter with Wiegand led to Romero performing as Theodore Roosevelt at the annual Badlands event in Medora, joining other historical presenters from across the country. Roosevelt visited Medora in 1903 during a presidential tour of the U.S. and was warmly received by its residents. Last month, in honor of that significant visit, the city of Medora opened the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in his honor. It stands less than 2 miles from his namesake national park. Romero received a bachelor’s degree in theatre arts from the University of California, San Diego, in 2019 and a master’s degree in costume design from the University of Georgia in 2024. He works as a costume designer and technician for theater and opera.