Local actor Jacob Truax will once again bring his one-man performance as Abraham Lincoln to The Hermitage, the home of former president Andrew Jackson, on February 16, 2026 from 7:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. The performance will take place in honor of Presidents’ Day and Black History Month.
This performance is one of The Hermitage’s Living History Events. Truax’s dynamic performance embodies the life of one of America’s most influential presidents during a pivotal moment in the history of the United States. He immerses his audience in the events of Lincoln’s life and times with thoughtfulness, humor, and dignity exploring his challenges, triumphs, and enduring legacy. Engaging dialogue covers many aspects of Lincoln’s life, including the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation.
Truax is a long-time veteran actor in community theater around Middle Tennessee. A lifetime member of the Association of Lincoln Presenters, he has meticulously researched the show combining information from many biographies, speeches, and letters. It provides every audience from Tennessee to England, where he has also performed, a new appreciation for America’s 16th president during the country’s 250th birthday year. Embraced by the Abraham Lincoln Presenter’s community, his one-man-show, An Evening with Abraham Lincoln, is reaching more and more audiences.
A love for performance was born in high school, when Truex recited passages from “MacBeth” to a surprised classroom of senior English literature students. This drew him to audition for his first show with Murfreesboro Little Theatre. He was cast as Elard in “The Foreigner,” earning that year’s youth award for his acting. He has acted in many other productions since that time, taking on roles in everything from his favorite Shakespearian plays like “The Tempest” and “Much Ado About Nothing” to Atticus Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
When not acting, Truax is a teacher for Rutherford County Schools. He started his teaching career in France, after completing his undergraduate degree, as an assistant English teacher. Upon returning home, he became a French teacher at Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, his alma mater. During the COVID pandemic he switched from teaching French to working with gifted students.
Aside from teaching and acting, Jacob spends his time writing fiction, working on his blog, and taking care of his eight-acre mini-farm just outside of Murfreesboro.
Other Living History Events include “Heroes of the Underground,” a theatrical performance telling the story of the Underground Railroad; “From Slavery to Statesmanship” with Nathan M. Richardson as Fredrick Douglass; and “Votes for Women: A Conversation with Susan B. Anthony” featuring Linda McKenney. For more information about these events at The Hermitage, call (615) 889-2941 or email them at [email protected].
Tickets to “An Evening with Abraham Lincoln” can be purchased here. Follow Jacob Truex on his Instagram page.
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