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Eleanor at Central Square Theater is a Triumph!
Eleanor
By Mark St. Germain
Directed by Bryn Boice
Central Square Theater
September 10-October 11, 2026
Any opportunity to see Paula Plum, the dame of Boston theater, is always good reason to get up and get out to a show. But you must run to see Ms. Plum’s star turn in Central Square Theater’s production of Eleanor. She is simply spectacular. And the play, a one woman show about the life of Eleanor Roosevelt, is rich in unexpected detail and dramatic tension. This perfect fusion of superb actor and engaging subject makes for a rewarding ninety minutes.
Central Square Theater (CST) is mission-driven, perhaps more than any theater company in the area. They thrive on plays about women, science, and progressive voices. Sometimes, so preachy as to be academic rather than dramatic. But fortunately, Eleanor plays to CST’s strengths without ever giving over to lecture. You learn a lot, but come away being both thought-provoked and entertained.
The set-up is simple, yet spot on. Present day, at Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C., where the spirit of Eleanor Roosevelt comes to visit. Why, you may ask, this cemetery, when Eleanor Roosevelt, who died in 1962, is buried beside her husband, Franklin, in Hyde Park, New…
