Veteran actor Steve Carroll will bring his one-man show, “Charles Lindbergh: The Lone Eagle,” to the Performing Arts Academy of Jupiter at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 21 for one night only.
Mr. Carroll’s show, which he wrote himself and has performed hundreds of times all over the U.S. since 2001, paints an intimate portrait of Lindbergh, who revolutionized the aviation industry in 1927 by becoming the first pilot to fly nonstop from New York to Paris in his famous plane, the Spirit of St. Louis.
“His nickname, The Lone Eagle, fit him well,” Mr. Carroll said. “Almost everything he did, he did alone. Whether it was flying the Atlantic, heading up his son’s kidnapping investigation or making a stand against entering World War II, he always seemed to be taking on the world all by himself.”
The play spans Lindbergh’s life as he returns from the grave to set the record straight about his life. It uncovers his early barnstorming days, the famous flight to Paris, the unpopular stance he took against entering World War II, his subsequent heroism as a fighter pilot and his final days as a world renowned environmentalist. Then in a final twist, Mr. Carroll will reveal a secret double life Lindbergh lived in his later years, which has only recently come to light.
“It’s pretty amazing,” Mr. Carroll said. “Lindbergh died in 1974, yet new information came out on him only a few years ago. I had been performing my show for years when the news broke and had to incorporate it into my play.”
Mr. Carroll has worked as a professional actor since 1977, appearing in dozens of Off-Broadway shows, national commercials and films. He also appeared as Dr. Matt Rawlins on the daytime drama “One Life To Live.” He said his play examines Lindbergh’s life on multiple levels.
“First, it is a work of drama that reveals the life of an adventurous pioneer who legitimized the aviation industry,” he said. “The play also serves as a history lesson for anyone interested in the social and political issues that led to World War II.”
In addition, the play focuses on the double-edged sword of celebrity — which led to the loss of his privacy, his home and even his firstborn son — and gives an inside look at Lindbergh’s difficult but enduring marriage to his wife, Anne.