“Give ‘Em Hell, Harry!” to star Truman’s grandson on Key West stage

Actor Clifton Truman Daniel is to portray his grandfather, 33rd U.S. President Harry S. Truman, in two performances of the acclaimed stage production, “Give ‘Em Hell, Harry!” during the upcoming “Presidential Families Weekend” at the Harry S. Truman Little White House in Key West. (Contributed photo)

Actor Clifton Truman Daniel is to portray his grandfather, 33rd U.S. President Harry S. Truman, in two performances of the acclaimed stage production, “Give ‘Em Hell, Harry!” during the upcoming “Presidential Families Weekend” at the Harry S. Truman Little White House in Key West. (Photo Carol Tedesco/The Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation)

The acclaimed, long running stage production “Give ‘Em Hell, Harry!” starring Clifton Truman Daniel, grandson of 33rd U.S. President Harry S. Truman, is set to return to Key West for two performances, Sunday, Feb. 16, and Monday, Feb. 17. The dynamic one-man-show will be staged on the grounds of the Key West Harry S. Truman Little White House, 111 Front Street, with doors opening at 4:00pm, performances starting at 4:30pm.

“Give ‘Em Hell, Harry!” is a tribute to Harry S. Truman’s life and singular persona, spanning his childhood, his years as a Jackson County, MO, judge and a U.S. Senator, and two terms as President. Often humorous and frequently breaking the fourth wall, the play was written by Samuel Gallu and made its debut in 1975 at Washington D.C.’s Ford’s Theatre, with actor James Whitmore filling the title role. Truman Daniel has starred in the production since 2017 and performed it for the first time in Key West in 2022, with scheduled and encore performances quickly selling out.

With more than a dozen stage and television performances to his credit, “Give ‘Em Hell, Harry!” was Truman Daniel’s first one-man show. “Back in 2017, when the opportunity to take the role presented itself, I had never done a one-man show before and it was unbelievably intimidating,” he said. “Not only is it 83 pages of dialog with no-one else on stage to prompt you—it’s my grandfather. So, in trying to make sure to get it right, I obsessed about his accent, his mannerisms. But it’s great to be able to step into his shoes—to dress as him and do the show, especially in the place where he spent 175 days living and working during his presidency.”

Beyond Truman Daniel’s work as an actor, he is author of two books, “Dear Harry, Love Bess: Bess Truman’s Letters to Harry Truman, 1919-1943” and “Growing up with My Grandfather: Memories of Harry S. Truman.” He has worked as a news writer and editor and is a Fellow of “Hibakusha Stories,” a United Nations NGO (non-governmental organization), working to bring attention to Japan’s “Hibakusha” – or “bomb-affected-people” – both their personal stories as survivors of the 1945 Hiroshima bombings and the goal of a world free from the threat of nuclear weapons. He also serves as Vice President of the Society of Presidential Descendants, a membership organization for individuals with direct lineage to one or more United States Presidents.

“Give ‘Em Hell, Harry!” is one of multiple 2025 “Presidential Families Weekend and Forum” events set to take place on the grounds of the Harry S. Truman Little White House from February 13-17.
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The mission of the not-for-profit Harry S. Truman Foundation is to preserve Florida’s only presidential museum—the Harry S. Truman Little White House—and to provide programming that supports civic engagement, education, and the historical and cultural influences of the Truman era. “Presidential Families Weekend and Forum” events are presented with the support of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council. For event tickets and information visit www.trumanlittlewhitehouse.org/foundation/events/.