A Northwestern alumna brought to life the story of the British maid behind the PBS historical drama “Downton Abbey” during a performance for almost 100 people at the Evanston History Center on Thursday night.

Leslie Goddard (Communication ’01) presented in character the historical figure Margaret Powell in an event titled “Below Stairs: Margaret Powell, the Kitchen Maid Whose Memoir Inspired Downton Abbey,” giving audience members the chance to hear about the real-life experiences behind the popular television mini-series.

“This woman went into service right at the time of World War I, so she lived through a lot of transitions,” Goddard said on the appeal of her character.

In her performance at the history center, 225 Greenwood St., Goddard recounted several of these transitions, covering the period from Powell’s first service job to her last full-time employment before her marriage.

The role of Margaret Powell is one of many historical figures Goddard has portrayed for audiences in her interactive presentations.

“The connection with Downton Abbey was irresistible,” said Bob Pendleton, a fan of the mini-series who attended the event with his wife.

Goddard’s presentation touched on issues including income inequality, difficult labor conditions and out-of-wedlock pregnancy in the service industry.

“I thought it was very sad to hear about the servant who was pregnant and how she was kicked out of the house,” said Nina Bucyna, a history center member who attended the presentation.

After her presentation, Goddard, who holds a doctorate from NU in American studies and United States history,  answered questions out of character about Powell’s life and the era in which she lived, as well as about her own experiences performing as Powell.

She noted the response that Powell’s character evoked from former service workers and their families.

“Since America is a country and Chicago is a city of immigrants, I’ve had the opportunity as I’ve made these presentations to talk to people whose mothers or grandmothers or great-aunts worked in service,” she said. “There’s a lot in Margaret’s story that strikes a chord with them, especially that their whole life is defined by service.”

Thursday’s performance was the first in the Evanston History Center’s fall “Under the Buffalo” presentation series, held in conjunction with the Evanston Public Library. This fall’s events will focus on the World War I era.

Goddard was asked to perform because of her engaging presentation style and her background with the history center, where she has performed and worked in the past, said Jenny Thompson, the history center’s education director and lecture series coordinator.

The next presentation, a lecture by Mary B. McWilliams titled “Art, Craft and Argental,” will be about a historical metalworking shop in Evanston and take place on Oct. 16.

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