Integrity on Stage: Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground Returns to Florida Studio Theatre
In an era when volume often masquerades as leadership, Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground offers something rarer—and arguably braver. This return engagement at Florida Studio Theatre invites audiences into a quiet, riveting meditation on power, responsibility, and moral restraint, embodied by one of the most consequential figures of the 20th century: Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Rather than dramatizing history through spectacle, the play leans into reflection. Set during Eisenhower’s retirement years, it presents the former general and president looking back on a lifetime of decisions that shaped the modern world. War, peace, authority, and conscience are examined not as abstract ideas, but as lived responsibilities—each carrying long shadows. The result is an intimate portrait of leadership defined not by dominance, but by deliberation.
Nancy Rominger, Director and FST Associate Artist/Literary Manager, believes those themes are precisely why the play resonates so strongly today. “Eisenhower wasn’t the loudest voice in the room, but he was often the wisest,” Rominger said. “What makes this play so compelling is its focus on integrity, restraint, and responsibility. These qualities defined Eisenhower’s leadership and feel especially meaningful today. This return engagement gives audiences another opportunity to sit with a truly thoughtful American story.”
Rominger leads new play development at Florida Studio Theatre, where she champions fresh theatrical voices while also directing Mainstage and Stage III productions. She joined FST in 2024 after 12 seasons at Alabama Shakespeare Festival, where she served as Associate Artistic Director and Director of the Southern Writers’ Project, the festival’s nationally recognized new play development program. During her tenure, she oversaw the development of 42 new American plays and musicals—many of which premiered at ASF before moving on to regional theatres across the country.
Since arriving at Florida Studio Theatre, Rominger has quickly become a defining artistic presence. Her directing credits at FST include Don’t Dress for Dinner, Dog Mom, Shedding a Skin, and Advice, reflecting a range that spans comedy, contemporary storytelling, and deeply intimate character studies. Her approach to Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground is similarly precise, favoring clarity, restraint, and emotional honesty.
Appearing in the role of Dwight D. Eisenhower is David Sitler*, who returns to Florida Studio Theatre for this engagement. Sitler previously appeared at FST in The Things They Carried, The Exonerated, and In the Belly of the Beast—productions known for their emotional rigor and narrative focus. His work consistently reflects a commitment to text-driven performance and psychological depth.
Sitler’s career spans Broadway, national tours, and regional stages across the United States. His stage roles include iconic characters such as Atticus Finch and Scrooge, while his screen work encompasses award-winning film and television performances, as well as projects in music videos and video games. In Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground, Sitler avoids impersonation in favor of embodiment. His Eisenhower is measured, reflective, and quietly commanding—revealing the man behind the history.
The intimacy of Florida Studio Theatre’s space plays a crucial role in the production’s impact. With no distance to hide behind, the performance unfolds in close proximity to the audience, inviting viewers into Eisenhower’s inner world. Silences are allowed to breathe. Reflections land with weight. The effect is less like watching history and more like sitting with it.
Supporting the production is a refined creative team whose work reinforces the storytelling without distraction. The team includes Nancy Rominger (Director), Kate Landry (Lighting Design), Nicholas Ryan (Sound Design), and Julia Hornsby (Costume Design). Together, they create an environment that subtly evokes time, memory, and reflection—allowing light, sound, and costume to serve the narrative rather than overwhelm it.
Ultimately, Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground stands out for its refusal to simplify. It is neither a patriotic pageant nor a revisionist critique. Instead, it is a measured exploration of leadership grounded in ethics, humility, and responsibility. In a cultural moment often defined by urgency and noise, the play offers a rare opportunity to slow down and consider what thoughtful leadership looks like—and what it costs.
This return engagement gives audiences another chance to experience a work that speaks quietly, confidently, and with lasting resonance.
In the end, Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground leaves audiences not with answers, but with space—space to reflect, to listen, and to consider the kind of leadership that endures. It reminds us that wisdom is often quiet, that responsibility is rarely glamorous, and that the most consequential decisions are carried long after the applause fades. In sitting with Eisenhower’s reflections, we are invited to sit with our own: what we value, what we choose, and how history is shaped not only by bold action, but by restraint. It is a rare and moving theatrical experience—one that lingers, gently but insistently, long after the lights go down.
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