Granddaughter hopes to one day show a different side of Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon is arguably one of the most vilified and demonized individuals of the 20th century, if not all of American history. But to Jennie Eisenhower, the 37th president of the United States was not the man at the nexus of the many scandals identified under the "Watergate" umbrella, but the loving grandfather with whom she shared a special relationship until his death in April 1994.

And that's the Richard Nixon she hopes to one day bring to life onstage.

"I was very, very close to my grandfather," offered Eisenhower, who on Wednesday begins a three-week run as Helen Keller's tutor, Annie Sullivan, in the Media Theatre's production of "The Miracle Worker."

"I have a lot of personal stories and things I'm planning at some point putting together into some sort of show."

Not that such a task will be an easy one when she gets around to molding her memories into theatrical form.

"It's scary, because one thing I've tried to do throughout my career is not draw attention to that element of [my life] and just let my work speak for me," she admitted. "But . . . there are so many questions that people have about [Nixon] and there's such a curiosity, and I have so much to share."

Eisenhower, a Chester County native - whose parents are Nixon's daughter, Julie, and her husband, David Eisenhower, grandson of the World War II Supreme Commander and 34th president, Dwight D. Eisenhower - understands that such a project would involve some fancy footwork to avoid it being what she described as "some sort of puffy vanity project." But, she said, "There are just so many awesome and hilarious stories about my grandfather. I'm hoping down the road I can put them out there. I think it could be a really positive thing."

At the moment, a Richard Nixon piece is just a glimmer in Eisenhower's eye. Her energies are focused on "The Miracle Worker," in which she plays the no-nonsense 19th-century teacher who is charged with teaching the deaf, dumb and blind Keller (played by 11-year-old Lexi Gwynn) basic life skills. Keller, of course, went on to become one of 20th century America's most celebrated personalities as a humanitarian, political activist and lecturer. The role, the Old City resident noted, comes with a unique set of challenges.

"This show is so physical, and it has to be so incredibly specific, that literally in the script every single motion is written out [by playwright William Gibson], because if you don't map it out, it can be quite dangerous," said Eisenhower, a two-time Barrymore Awards winner (Best Actress in a Musical for "Forbidden Broadway" and Best Supporting Actress in "The Wild Party").

"I think the responsibility of wrestling with a young girl [puts] more pressure on me to make sure, for example, that we don't fall off the platform, or to make sure I don't haul her into a chair.

"I have a daughter [Chloe, 1 1/2] and I just think about how I handle her all day, picking her up, changing her and how cautious I am with her, and I just want to make sure that even though we're fighting, I'm as cautious as I can be. My [maternal instincts] are firing all over the place. I want to take care of [Gwynn], and at the same time, completely beat her up."

Speaking of parenting, Eisenhower credits her mom and dad for providing unstinting support for her desire to act (a bug she said really bit her hard when she was an eighth-grader starring as The Artful Dodger in a production of "Oliver!" at Tredyffrin/Easttown Middle School in Berwyn). And she knows she can count on her folks - who still call Chester County home - being at every premiere.

"Opening night can be so stressful," she said. "They're always there for support.

"As a ritual, my mom always sends me a text message at intermission. Something like, 'You look beautiful.' I've come to expect it, so I'll sit there backstage at intermission waiting for the obligatory text message to come through."

Even better, Sondheim will accept the honor at a June 1 open-to-the-public fundraising bash at the company's Old City headquarters. Tickets are $250. For more info, go to ardentheatre.org.

The latest offering at Penn's Landing Playhouse inside the Independence Seaport Museum is "The Divorcees Club."

Running through March 22, "The Divorcees Club" is billed as a comical look at post-marriage life through the eyes of three diverse women who wind up living together after shedding their husbands. The production marks the American premiere of the show based on the French "Les Clan Des Divorcees."