Former president Dwight D. Eisenhower thought he would enjoy a country life of peaceful retirement at his Gettysburg farm. Then, one summer day in 1962, he opened his New York Times to find a survey in which 75 distinguished historians evaluated the tenure of each American president.

Now running at Act II Playhouse, “Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground” by Richard Hellesen, is a fictional portrait of the president known as “Ike,” but one that draws heavily on Eisenhower’s public statements and private writings. In the dramatic opening, Ike finds himself ranked 22nd out of 31 presidents — below Herbert Hoover and just above of the impeached Andrew Johnson. Words like “mediocre” and “inept” were used to describe his administration.

Jolted, Eisenhower defends his life and career. With a mix of humor, chagrin and charm, he reminisces about the moral decency of his Kansas upbringing, his rise from West Point cadet to generalship and the formulation of the Normandy invasion. He is proud of multiple accomplishments: his NATO leadership, the creation of the National Highway System and the creation of NASA, among others.

“Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground” got off to a flying start with a critically acclaimed Off-Broadway debut in 2023 under director Peter Ellenstein, with Tony Award-winner John Rubinstein as the avuncular president. Rear wall projections enlivened the show, evoking the changing weather at the Gettysburg farm as Ike paced the floor. Since then, “Eisenhower” revivals have crisscrossed the country.

The Act II production is the first time “Eisenhower” has hit the boards in the Philadelphia metro area. Barrymore Award-winner Tony Lawton both directs and stars as Eisenhower. As director, Lawton uses the talents of a corps of backstage artists to bring “Eisenhower” to life with lighting, sound, costume, voice-overs and wall projections.

Stage celebrations of notable people usually take on a hagiographic aura. This one is no exception. The only time Hellesen’s Eisenhower shows authentic remorse is when Ike rues that his negligence led to the death of his young son, Icky. But this singular instance of culpability is an outlier, a family tragedy that only makes you like him more.

Critics of his administration still call attention to Eisenhower’s slowness in responding to the civil-rights challenge and forcing some 7,000 gay and lesbian workers out of federal public service via Executive Order 10450 (the so-called “Lavender Scare”). And there is no discussion of Ike’s relations with Richard Nixon in the play.

In the 1960s, political satirists had fun with the imaginary “Eisenhower Doll.” The run-on gag was “Wind it up, and it does nothing for eight years.” But with access to more documents, modern historians note Eisenhower’s skill in dealing with egomaniacal leaders, and his deft “hidden hand” approach to prickly political problems. Historians now place Eisenhower in the upper tier of presidents (just behind those four guys engraved in granite at Mount Rushmore).

There is an elephant in the room. Hellesen makes an implicit attack on our current political leadership when his Eisenhower cautions us about the fragility of democracy and the need for temperance and character in politics. When Eisenhower says, “Some days it feels like democracy is going to have a hell of a time persevering...” you know who Hellesen is talking about.

Act II Playhouse has done other one-actor shows that dramatically present historical figures from American history. In 2022, Penelope Reed shined (or shone, if you are from England) as “Eleanor,” the storied wife of FDR. And in 2024, Sabrina Profitt delivered riveting portraits of three first ladies, Betty Ford, Pat Nixon and Lady Bird Johnson (with lots of help from costume and wig makers).

These shows succeeded on two levels. They created the feeling that you were meeting real personalities, not the papier-mâché versions you were used to seeing in the bright lights. At the same time, you relived their historical eras. Act II Playhouse is on a roll with this sub-genre and, at opening night this Friday, you can look forward to being immersed in the personal and political world of Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Act II Playhouse is located at 56 E. Butler Ave. in Ambler. “Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground” will run through Sept. 13. Tickets are available at 215-654-0200 or online.