Michael O. Smith as Teddy Roosevelt in 'Bully Pulpit'

BY ROBERT KAHN | robert.kahn@newsday.com

May 14, 2008

No room in Sagamore Hill has been more frequently and fully described than what the Roosevelt family called the North Room or "trophy room," built in 1905.

The space is replicated by scenic designer Charlie Corcoran in "The Bully Pulpit," a new play about the turbulent times of the 26th president. Written by and starring Michael O. Smith, "Pulpit" takes place at the historic Long Island home in 1918, on the former president's 60th birthday - a full decade after he left office.

Among the North Room effects Corcoran incorporates into the set are woodworking, guns, a zebra rug and even Roosevelt's taxidermy.

Despite its dramatic design, the North Room quickly became a favorite family room and a natural sitting place for visitors to talk by the fire.

Smith, a founding member of Strasberg's Mirror Repertory with Geraldine Page and Sabra Jones, is known to TV audiences from "Evening Shade," "Murder, She Wrote" and the soaps, as well as his work as a series regular on "B.L. Stryker" with Burt Reynolds.

WHEN&WHERE: "The Bully Pulpit," which has toured theaters throughout the country since its 2004 debut at the Florida Playwrights Festival, opens tonight at the Beckett Theatre, 410 W. 42nd St., Manhattan, The limited engagement runs through June 29. Call 212-279-4200 for tickets, or visit ticketcentral.com.