Mark Twain Last Night!

Last night I saw Hal Holbrook perform "Mark Twain Tonight!" at the Julie Rogers Theatre (dig that high class artsy misspelling of "theater"). For those who aren't familar with "Mark Twain Tonight!," it's a one man show that Holbrook has been doing on and off since the 1950s. He assumes the identity of Mark Twain and then talks for two hours. The words are Twain's. I have no idea whether the presentation is anything like the real Mark Twain's would have been, but if it isn't, it ought to be.

If I understand it correctly, there isn't a single script for the show; it's more like a band choosing different songs to play at different shows. He has bits of Twain that he weaves together as the mood strikes him. I suppose that it's this flexibility that allows him to keep the show so topical. It's strange to hear someone commenting so perceptively on current events using words that were all written more than a hundred years ago.

Anyway, it was a very good show. It actually made me want to read.