It's been some time, but I remember writing a review of Randall Knopler's 
Acting Naturally for the Forum, a book examining Twain on stage and how he 
was part of "performance culture." My memory is dim regarding the book--but 
the review should still be posted at the Forum archives.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Dawidziak" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 1:10 PM
Subject: Re: Mark Twain on stage


> Alex,
>    If you're looking for a scholarly and insightful study of "Mark
> Twain and the Stage," you can do no better than Shelley Fisher Fishkin's
> essay in "A Companion to Mark Twain" (edited by Peter Messent and Louis
> J. Budd, Blackwell Publishing). Shelley also covers this territory in
> engaging fashion in her foreword, afterword and notes to the University
> of California Press published version of "Is He Dead? A Comedy in Three
> Acts" (2003). Together, these works give a thorough assessment of Twain
> and the stage during the writer's lifetime.
>    Kent Rasmussen's "Mark Twain A to Z" and the expanded two-volume
> "Mark Twain: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work" (Facts on File,
> 2007) contain several references that cover both the stage works during
> Twain's life and later adaptations.
>    I'm not aware of any single work that lists and discuss such later
> adaptations as the Rodgers and Hart "Connecticut Yankee," the Adam and
> Eve segment of "The Apple Tree," David Birney's adaptation of "The
> Diaries of Adam and Eve," Roger Miller's Tony-winning "Big River" and
> the recent attempt to turn Tom Sawyer into a musical. Such a study
> certainly would be extremely valuable.
>
> Alex Effgen wrote:
>> Hello:
>>
>> Given Holbrook's recent tour of New England, and the successful run
>> of "Is He Dead?" I wonder what study has been made of Twain or his
>> works adapted for the stage both during his life and after.  Is there
>> an easy reference list of his work adapted?  Has this been discussed?
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> -Alex
>>
>