THEATRICAL EVENTS
We write, produce and perform original plays and lectures based on or inspired by Mark Twain.
Twain wrote twelve plays in his lifetime. But only one, adapted from The Gilded Age (his first novel), was successful in his lifetime. A second success would have to wait more than a century for the Broadway version of Is He Dead.
We modeled our first shows after Twain’s world lectures. This evolved into full productions of works adapted from his essays, short stories and journals. Scroll down to view snippets from one of our solo shows.
- They Told Me to be Brief: This entirely improvised, full-length monologue is driven by jokes, stories, anecdotes, and audience questions. It is almost entirely improvised and therefore every show is different. It premiered at the Players Theatre in Sarasota, Florida in 2023. Its second production was presented at the Venice Theatre in 2024 (60 minutes).
- Mark Twain’s Last Stand: This monologue combines segments from five of Twain’s lecture tours presented between 1872-96. Our rendition added original material written by Alan Kitty, and was produced three times in New York. It premiered at the Triad Theatre. A second premier took place at the Kraine Theater in Greenwich Village in 2010. It toured America until 2019. (90 minutes)
- The Yesterday Show: A talk show hosted by Mark Twain. Guests include historical characters who make an impact on American Society between 1852-1910. (60 minutes)
- Original Sin: Adapted from Twain’s “Adam’s Diary” and “Eve’s Journal” (1904), the First Couple struggles to make sense of life on earth.
For schools, we created standards-compliant programs that fosters a memorable image of the author, his work and times.
We created some programs for Senior Communities that want to keep their residents engaged. The result is a connection to Twain that inspires further reading of his works. Some of our most popular educational lectures are described below.
The Life and Times of Mark Twain: This biographical lecture can be presented in an intensive seminar style (5 hours) or in segments (60 minutes). It includes Q&A. Discussions relating to History, Literature, Politics often follow.
Frontier Tales: Stories and anecdotes from Twain’s early period (1861-1867) – 45-60 minutes
Family Life: The family adventures and tragedies of Mark Twain (1871-91) – 45-60 minutes
Stories for Young Audiences: A collection of improvised stories with audience participation (40 minutes)
Interested in a private lecture for your group? Contact us to discuss adding one or more of our programs to your events calendar.
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Testimonials
- “The best thing we’ve seen here in twenty-five years.“
- “Mark Twain was in the house.“
- “An amazing show. We’ll do this again.“