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The Mark Twain You Don't Know!
Olentangy Music
Bakehouse Theatre
Sat 29 March - Sat 12 April
 Chris Wallace's admiration for Mark Twain inspires an energetic, entertaining and thoughtful tribute to a man many consider America's greatest author. 'The Mark Twain You Don't Know!' brings to light some of Twain's lesser known works and theories, providing an insightful dramatisation accompanied by small pockets of biographical information, which allow a greater appreciation of the works explored. The second half of the production embarks on a courageous and very amusing musical interpretation of 'Huckleberry Finn'' and concludes with a sobering excerpt from Twain's own autobiography, revealing the tragic events which impacted on his life.
Fans of Mark Twain admire him for many reasons, namely his wit, humour and incredible insight in to society and the human psyche. Chris Wallace does not attempt to upstage this gold mine of material, instead brings it to life with integrity, respect and immense talent. He maintains such a presence on stage; it starts to feel like there's an entire cast performing instead of just one man. His impressive character voices must be mentioned, along with the exceptional sound design by Peter Jago, which contributed both emotional depth and comic support to the diverse script, which ranged from religious analysis right through to a Victorian satire, centring on who done the monstrous fart.
The greatest triumph of 'Mark Twain', especially when considering a younger audience, is that it makes classic literature more than just a syllabus requirement, grudgingly studied by unenthusiastic students, and instead reveals what make it so truly fascinating and appealing. Mark Twain was poignant, courageous, opinionated and perhaps most surprisingly, hilarious. I laughed out loud as Twain's ridiculing analysis of the book of Genesis stressed the clear irrationality and outlandishness of the biblical events described within. Having said that though, this production also reveals Twain's sophistication as he disclosed his controversial opinions, which explains how his work has remained accessible and non-threatening for over one hundred years.
The exceedingly cool and charming Bakehouse Theatre is the perfect venue for sharing literary passions and theatrical gems, so I highly recommend all to take advantage of 'Mark Twain's generous season and to indulge in this memorable experience for themselves. On a personal level, this production has inspired me to commence my own exploration of Mark Twain's work, and I only wish I could borrow his talent now so as to offer a higher compliment to Chris Wallace and his talented crew.
Bianca Weiler
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