... Thus, Joe, the tour guide, and The Honorable Herbert Peabody were born.

Coincidentally, a biography about Kirk's grandfather, former U.S. Senator Gale McGee, was published during this time. The Gale McGee Papers archived at the American Heritage Center provided the majority of the research of his untarnished legacy as a leader who could respectfully debate the most divisive issues and honestly believed that we were strongest when we served those who needed justice..... However, it did spark a rather uncomfortable question:

  • "What will a tour be like at the Donald Trump Presidential Library?"

During the zeitgeist of the #MeToo movement...

Kirk began exploring the dynamics of the abuse of power. He grappled with the impact of simultaneously revering the achievements of celebrated men, like Bill Cosby, while still reviling their deplorable personal behavior. He studied the  implications of choosing to absolve the misconduct because the perpetrator is a favorite celebrity, teacher, close friend, or relative. Kirk searched ways to redefine his role and responsibilities by asking an essential question:

  • "How can I do better to support women during #MeToo and beyond?"
Both timely and hilarious, The Honorable Herbert Peabody is a one-man show that puts the audience in the shoes of Joe's tour group, inviting them to decide whether to ignore, change, or make history. 

Think of it as Ted Lasso meets What the Constitution Means To Me - a winning combination of political satire, broad physical comedy, incisive solo performance and a powerful story told with honesty and warmth. With a small cast and crew, and simple but impactful production design …Herbert Peabody offers a unique theatrical experience that is easily adaptable for venues of all types and sizes!
Kirk’s work uses the power of humor, and clowning-inspired performance to create work that speaks to the very survival of the human spirit by exploring how our flaws and follies unite rather than divide us. The Honorable Herbert Peabody is a solo show that blends political satire and urgent social issues offering a unique theatrical experience that inspires the audience to engage in an honest dialogue about creating a culture shift in eliminating social and gender inequality.
How does a hapless tour guide juggle a Senator’s lofty legacy with his litany of sex scandals? That’s the riddle at the heart of the seriously funny new solo show, The Honorable Herbert Peabody. It’s the opening day of the Honorable Herbert Peabody Library and Legacy Center, and a well-intentioned tour guide named Joe encounters an increasingly disgruntled tour group and a new understanding of his own actions. As the tour unravels, Joe must decide if he will continue to stand idly by or finally stand on the right side of history.
If you are a member of NACA looking to book the show for your University event please email us at herbertpeabody@gmail.com

A very funny solo show about a very serious issue...

Corey Atkins (Director) is a New York City-based director, creative producer, and writer. He most recently directed the premiere of John Jiler’s Under Big Piney starring Tim Bake Nelson and Gloria Reuben (Intiman Theatre online), and a workshop of Matthew Goldstein’s new dark comedy, Purgatorium, lead by Noah and Emma Galvin (Evan Bernardin Productions). Other credits include: Lincoln Center Theatre/Institute, Noor Theatre/NYTW, The Acting Company, Cleveland Play House, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Denver Center, Hangar Theatre, and Portland Stage Company, among many others. Corey was Associate Producer for the 2015 Tony Award-winning Cleveland Play House from 2011-16, and Artistic Associate at The Playwrights Realm from 2017-2018. He is a Drama League Directing Fellow, a member of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, and was a finalist for SDC’s Mike Ockrent Fellowship with Casey Nicholaw, and Gielgud Fellowship with Michael Greif. He has also been a volunteer for the Latinx Theatre Commons Translation Committee. He holds an M.F.A. in Directing from the University of Texas at Austin. www.CoreyAtkins.com
Kirk McGee (Performer/Writer): Kirk McGee is an award-winning actor and playwright whose career spans theater, film, and TV. As an actor he has appeared in various off-Broadway productions, regional and NY theaters (Philly Shakespeare, StageWorks Hudson Theater, Cherry Lane Theater)  On TV he has appeared on Are We There Yet? (recurring), Law & Order, The Path, and Sesame Street. Kirk received nominations for Best Actor at Idyllwild International Film Festival and for The Jack Nance Breakthrough Performance Award at VisionFest for his performance in the title role in the romantic comedy Chasing Taste (featured on Amazon/iTunes). He is also a 2021 Cafe Royal Cultural Foundation Grantee. www.McGee4me.com
Corey Atkins (Director) is a New York City-based director, creative producer, and writer. He most recently directed the premiere of John Jiler’s Under Big Piney starring Tim Bake Nelson and Gloria Reuben (Intiman Theatre online), and a workshop of Matthew Goldstein’s new dark comedy, Purgatorium, lead by Noah and Emma Galvin (Evan Bernardin Productions). Other credits include: Lincoln Center Theatre/Institute, Noor Theatre/NYTW, The Acting Company, Cleveland Play House, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Denver Center, Hangar Theatre, and Portland Stage Company, among many others. Corey was Associate Producer for the 2015 Tony Award-winning Cleveland Play House from 2011-16, and Artistic Associate at The Playwrights Realm from 2017-2018. He is a Drama League Directing Fellow, a member of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, and was a finalist for SDC’s Mike Ockrent Fellowship with Casey Nicholaw, and Gielgud Fellowship with Michael Greif. He has also been a volunteer for the Latinx Theatre Commons Translation Committee. He holds an M.F.A. in Directing from the University of Texas at Austin. www.CoreyAtkins.com

A tour guide struggles to celebrate his hero's political legacy after news breaks the Senator is a sexual predator.

The Honorable Herbert Peabody is a solo theater show that follows Joe, the well-intentioned tour guide, who struggles to celebrate the historical achievements of this vile sexual predator for whom he once revered as his personal hero. As the tour completely unravels Joe wrestles with his own past neglectful behavior and must decide if he’s going to continue to stand idly by or find the courage to stand on the right side of history.
THE HONORABLE HERBERT PEABODY was inspired by the collision of two important facets of Kirk McGee’s life: the #MeToo scandals of his comedy hero Bill Cosby and upcoming democratic party leader Senator Al Franken, and having grown up in a family with a (thankfully untarnished) political legacy. McGee’s grandfather, Gale McGee, represented Wyoming as a Democrat in the United States Senate from 1959 until 1977. As both a Senator and Ambassador, he was a major player in the development of America’s post–WW II foreign policy and almost every legislative milestone in U.S. history from the 1950s to 1980. As the Kirk wrestled with what it means to simultaneously revere the achievements of men like Cosby or Franken and revile their personal behavior, he wondered what role he could play to support women in the #MeToo era. A literal role—Joe the Tour Guide—was born. 
With compassion and humor, The Honorable Herbert Peabody is a solo theater show that gives permission to everyone, specifically men, to reflect upon their past actions or inaction when faced directly or indirectly with sexual harassment and to recognize what responsibility they need to take to create a better, safer, more equitable world.   .... to ask: "How did I feel when I discovered that my personal hero was a sexual predator? How did I react when I heard the news about my favorite celebrity or politician? What did I do when you found out the truth about your favorite teacher, close friend, or relative?" Don’t worry, as a helpless bystander, silence and fear have always been totally normal reactions for not speaking up.  Totally normal and acceptable reactions... until now.