Jean-Francois Millet

Anything with the name Mark Twain on it draws a crowd.  “Twainiacs” like me will always show up.  This particular piece of Clemens’ literary output languished inside a file cabinet at the Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley for a century.   It is difficult to know what to say about IS HE DEAD. It is a bold choice by Director Charlotte Gilman and the OCTA Board.   Gilman has chosen to direct IS HE DEAD in the imagined style of the time.  It is easy to imagine in a touring Chautauqua tent show in rural Kansas or Missouri at the end of the nineteenth century.

What did our critic think of IS HE DEAD at Arkansas State University Beebe?

Is He Dead? By Mark Twain, as adapted by David Ives - In 1898 Mark Twain wrote Is He Dead? - a stage comedy involving renowned 19th-century French painter Jean-Francois Millet. 

The penultimate Mainstage production of Conejo Players Theatre's 60th Anniversary Season kicks off September 14, when the hilarious romp Is He Dead? takes to the CPT stage.

The penultimate Mainstage production of Conejo Players Theatre's 60th Anniversary Season kicks off September 14, when the hilarious romp Is He Dead? takes to the CPT stage.

The penultimate Mainstage production of Conejo Players Theatre's 60th Anniversary Season kicks off September 14, when the hilarious romp Is He Dead? takes to the CPT stage.

Is He Dead?/by Mark Twain/adapted by David Ives/Glendale Center Theatre (GCT)/directed by Todd Nielsen/through November 18 GCT loves doing seasonal shows. Since it's only weeks away from Halloween, what could be more fun than a melodramatic and satirical romp that focuses on a nasty villain and a man in a dress? Mark Twain wrote Is He Dead? in 1898 but the incredible fact is it wasn't published until 2003. Adapted by David Ives it received a production on Broadway in 2007 starring Norbert Leo Butz.

New Hampshire Theatre Project's Youth Repertory Company will present Is He Dead?, a hilarious farce by Mark Twain and David Ives, on March 17-26, 2017 at West End Studio Theatre in Portsmouth, NH.

The first major gallery exhibition of the NYC fall art season opened at The Cavalier Gallery with a seminal show entitled American Realism: Past and Present on Thursday, October 22nd. Over 100 guests including collectors, critics, and many of the featured artists attended the opening night wine reception at the Cavalier's stunning and expansive fourth floor space at 3 West 57th Street. Scroll down for photos from the opening festivities!

Cavalier Gallery announces an extraordinary survey of American Realist works, creating a historical show that highlights the importance and diversity of the American Realism Movement.   American Realism: Past and Present will be on view at Cavalier's NYC gallery located at 3 West 57th Street, 4th floor, New York, NY, from October 15th through November 30th.  An opening reception for the show will take place tonight, October 22nd from 5:00 - 8:00pm in the gallery.  

Cavalier Gallery announces an extraordinary survey of American Realist works, creating a historical show that highlights the importance and diversity of the American Realism Movement.   American Realism: Past and Present will be on view at Cavalier's NYC gallery located at 3 West 57th Street, 4th floor, New York, NY, from October 15th through November 30th.  An opening reception for the show will take place on Thursday, October 22nd from 5:00 - 8:00pm in the gallery.  

Mark Twain's long-lost comedy IS HE DEAD? is anything but. The period piece is decidedly fresh and upbeat in Hale Centre Theatre's impressive iteration.

In June of 2013, the Art Institute of Chicago received a monumental gift from Massachusetts collector Dorothy Braude Edinburg: nearly 1,000 works, including approximately 800 prints and drawings spanning 500 years. Now the Art Institute will be exhibiting 96 of these drawings in The Thrill of the Chase: Drawings for the Harry B. and Bessie K. Braude Collection, on view in the museum's Jean and Steven Goldman Prints and Drawing Galleries in the Richard and Mary Gray Wing from March 15 through June 15.

Amicus Productions presents this riotous cross-dressing comedy at the Papermill Theatre, at the Todmorden Mills historical site, 67 Pottery Road, running tonight, November 14-16, & 21-23 at 8 p.m. and November 17 and 23 at 2p.m.

Amicus Productions presents this riotous cross-dressing comedy at the Papermill Theatre, at the Todmorden Mills historical site, 67 Pottery Road, running November 14-16, & 21-23 at 8 p.m. and November 17 and 23 at 2p.m. Tickets are $22 regular adults, $20 for seniors and $18 for students. Group rates are available. For tickets or information, call 416-860-6176 or go to www.amicusproductions.ca. All seating is reserved.

The Art Institute of Chicago will present Dreams and Echoes: Drawings and Sculpture in the David and Celia Hilliard Collection, an exhibition of 115 works on paper and small sculptures, ranging in date from the 16th to the late 20th century.

The focus is on the men in this piece and the talents of the male actors in this company, were brought to comedic height by Director Murray Mintz. Mr. Mintz's staging, slapstick comedic bits, sight gags, and yes, choreography and recorded music too, added exactly what this play needs to be a hit!

I say this with all sincerity, you do not want to miss the curtain call that will have you on the floor in laughter and then on your feet in applause!

Mark Twain's play "Is He Dead?", adapted by David Ives, is an uproarious hysterical romp. Or it can be. Unfortunately the current production from Theater Schmeater, while still funny, lacks a cohesiveness that could take it to the realm of "seriously funny".