Writing what he knows
Former White House press spokesman turns funny career experiences into play
Donald Trump often calls journalists the “worst people in the world” — “disgusting.”
At least he’s on speaking terms with the media.
Rival Hillary Clinton hasn’t held a press conference in 2016.
Peter Roussel knows about the difficult love-hate (depending which channel you’re watching) relationship between the President of the United States and the men and women who cover him — or maybe “her” in a few months.
From 1981-87, Roussel was the deputy press spokesman for President Ronald Reagan. Before that, he was the press spokesman for President George H.W. Bush during the years Bush served in Congress and as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. And before that, he was a staff assistant to President Gerald Ford.
Now Roussel has written a play called “Ruffled Flourishes,” about the gridlocked intersection “where substance meets satire” in the White House press room.
“Ruffled Flourishes” will premiere with two performances, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday at the University Theatre Center on the campus of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville.
Roussel currently sits in the Philip G. Warner endowed chair in the school’s Department of Communication. All the performers in “Ruffled Flourishes” are theater students.
Roussel wrote “Ruffled Flourishes” as a novel in 2009.
“As time evolved, and since I come from a journalism and theater family, it occurred to me that it might have theatrical possibilities,” Roussel said. “As in the novel, the play is about the daily taffy pull for information between reporters covering the White House and a presidential spokesman. And most particularly, the sometimes unexpected and fleeting moments of humor that mix in with the substance of that process. The framework of the novel was there, so it seemed natural to develop the play from that source.”
Roussel’s father, Hubert, was a theater critic and entertainment writer for the Houston Post. His mother, Dewey, was a reporter and actress.
“Ruffled Flourishes” is the story of Sox St. Louis, deputy press secretary to the president. For Roussel, it’s art imitating life, with some “Dear Diary” thrown into the mix.
“To the best of my knowledge, there’s never been a play on this specific subject, the relationship between the press and a presidential spokesman. In many plays about the White House, the president is the central character. In ‘Ruffled Flourishes,’ reporters and a spokesperson take center stage.”
With the 2016 presidential campaign in full swing, I’m not letting Roussel get away without offering his opinion of the gutter brawl being waged by Clinton and Trump and their supporters. I asked him:
Did you see anything like this when you worked in the White House?
“Most of my career in Washington took place before the emergence of social media,” Roussel said. “That’s not to say there weren’t plenty of challenges before social media. On many of my days as a White House spokesman, there were two media legends to face, Helen Thomas and Sam Donaldson. We used to refer to the ‘Sam Donaldson Rules of Engagement’ — shout first, ask questions later. They were two of the most intense, smartest and tireless reporters with whom I have ever worked.”
During your time as Reagan’s spokesperson, did you ever see him lose his cool, in private or public, with a member of the press?
“No, never. He did have conviction, which I think is a key quality for presidents,” he said. “He was very good about considering diverse points of view before making a decision. He had a very quick wit, which he sometimes used in responding to the media. Not for nothing was he called ‘The Great Communicator.’ He was one of the best storytellers I ever heard.”
What’s the biggest difference between the 2016 presidential campaign and when your employers ran for the White House?
“The disappearance of a.m. and p.m. deadlines that existed previously for the media, and today’s 24-hour instant coverage.”
Polls show that young people are turned off, or at least not excited, by both Clinton and Trump. Do you think it’s a one-time veto or a permanent exile?
“When I was fresh out of college in the mid-1960s,” Roussel said, “I became involved in the public service arena out of what was a positive-based motivation — the chance to be involved in the process, to hopefully help in a small way toward various goals. I would hope that today’s young adults might feel the same and not turn away in the future.”
Of the three presidents you worked for, which had the most impact on your life personally?
“My employ with President George H.W. Bush began in 1969 when he was a U.S. congressman from Houston. Subsequently, I continued in a press-spokesman role when he ran for the U.S. Senate (1970), when he was U.S ambassador to the United Nations (1971-73) and chairman of the Republican National Committee (1973-74).
“At that point, I undertook my first tour of duty in the White House with President Ford. President Bush then departed for China, where he served as chief of the U.S. Liaison Office in Beijing. It is now a 47-year personal and professional friendship, one of which I am most proud and deeply appreciative. Since the Bushes’ return to Houston, it has been a pleasure to join them at times in attending games by Houston’s various sports teams and the theater here.”
In case you’re wondering, I did ask Roussel for his opinions on Clinton, Trump, Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, presidential polls and what Presidents Ford, Reagan and Bush would say about our two current candidates.
Roussel passed, playing politically correct. No ruffling feathers — or flourishes — this time.
Tickets for the “Ruffled Flourishes” shows are $10; 936294-1339. ken.hoffman@chron.com twitter.com/KenChronicle
“The play is about the daily taffy pull for information between reporters covering the White House and a presidential spokesman. And most particularly, the sometimes unexpected and fleeting moments of humor that mix in with the substance of that process.” Peter Roussel