OlentagyMusic is pleased to announce the US premiere production of American-born Melbourne actor Chris Wallace’s The Mark Twain You Don’t Know for a three-week limited engagement at Off-Broadway’s Richmond Shepard Theatre (309 East 26th Street). Performances begin Tuesday, March 23 and continue thru Monday, April 5. Opening Night is Thursday, March 25 (8 p.m.).
Mark Twain died 100 years ago, yet his humour and insights remain contemporary. The Mark Twain You Don’t Know is a rich mix of humor, homespun wisdom and satirical observations, performed in a one-man tour de force by Chris Wallace.
Starting with Letters from the Earth, Mark Twain’s version of the creation of the Universe: Satan writes letters home to his fellow archangels, telling them about this quaint little insignificant place and the “interesting fools” who populate it.
1601, A Conversation as it was by the Social Fireside in the Time of the Tudors is a ribald, bawdy romp that features characters from Elizabethan England, including Sir Walter Raleigh, Ben Jonson, Francis Bacon, Shakespeare, Elizabeth the First and others
The War Prayer, written late in Mark Twain’s life, puts the notion of war into a universal context, showing the other side of patriotism as the wilful destruction of equally valid human life.
A mini-musical version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn leads into the finale of The Autobiography of Mark Twain, with a chapter dedicated to the death of one of his two remaining daughters. The power and poignancy of this piece resonates with everyone who has ever suffered a loss.
The production features scenic design by Name of Designer, costume design by Amanda Carr, and lighting design by Brett Maughan. Name of Designer is the sound engineer and Name is the stage manager.
The Mark Twain You Don’t Know plays the following regular schedule through Sunday, April 5:
Wednesdays at 8 p.m.
Thursdays at 8 p.m.
Fridays at 8 p.m.
Saturdays at 8 p.m.
Sundays at 3 p.m.
Tickets are $20 (stu/sen $15) and are now available online at www.xxxxxx.com or by calling 212 684 2690. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the ½ hour prior to performance.
Running Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes including intermission
This post was submitted by Katie.
