The reports of Mark Twain’s death are, as always, greatly exaggerated; his spirited wit lives on. It seems it was living in a file cabinet at U.C. Berkeley until scholar Shelley Fisher Fishkin rescued it, gave it some fresh air and exercise, and found it every bit the Twain we know and love. A buff and a shine later, courtesy of playwright David Ives, and voila, a new offering of the quintessential American author’s impish, incisive humour.
“Is He Dead?” is Twain’s affectionate jab at the lofty world of art, beginning with the wry observation that artists gain their fame and fortune long after death – when neither does them any good. When French artist Jean-Francois Millet and friends are faced with financial calamity unless they can conjure money to repay debts owed to the mustache-twirling villain Bastien (pitch-perfect Steve Marvel), the solution to that especially vexing problem is rather ingenious: Millet fakes his own death in a bid to reap the post-mortem benefits while alive. Cross-dressing ensues.
From left, Perry Ojeda, Chip Bent, Brian Stanton and Blake Silver in Twain production
One has to wonder what Twain would make of art today, when the internet and digital technologies have rendered the creation and distribution of art accessible to the greater masses. When fame consists of a YouTube video that catches the media spotlight for the proverbial 15 minutes then fades to black, the respect for artists implied by Twain’s sly tweaking is still beyond reach. The proliferation of bad art that equates popularity with quality, however, parodies itself; “Is He Dead?” swipes, with comedy masterstrokes, at fundamental pretensions. Art collectors whose knowledge of art rarely ventures beyond the number on the price tag. Usurious lenders for whom art is both bargaining chip and cash cow. And, of course, that bit about starving artists stuck in the complex capitalist web of perceived and mutable value.
Laughter and Zaniness
Yet none of these issues come up until the dry analytics of post-show contemplation. “Is He Dead?” is so entertaining, so hilarious, so zany that the first act passes in a blink, followed by another blink, and the larger themes get smoothly shunted aside in all the laughter. This is, after all, Mark Twain. Along with David Ives’ comic background and ICT founding artistic director Shashin Desai’s crisp, well-timed direction, Is He Dead? is comedy in its finest form. Joe Fria’s performance in multiple roles brings together Groucho Marx and Peter Sellers in a singularly goofy and unforgettable shtick. Peter Ojeda, as Millet, starts out as the straight man while Brian Stanton, as the brains behind the con, and Chip Bent, as the artist's disciple with a penchant for Limburger cheese, get the gusto. Once the madness takes off, though, Ojeda gets to zing with the rest of them, and Is He Dead? takes off like a firecracker. It says something that, in a production so thoroughly brawny in all its elements, even a whoopee cushion gag, normally the sort of cheap tactic resorted to by lesser wits, brings out a hearty chuckle. That says a lot, actually.
So no more asking, “Where is Mark Twain when you need him?” At long last, he’s back. And “Is He Dead?” is just the sort of smart screwball comedy to engage both brains and funny bone. Not to be missed!
“Is He Dead?” by Mark Twain. Adapted by David Ives. Directed by Shashin Desai. Starring Perry Ojeda, Brian Stanton, Chip Bent, Jules Hartley, Suzanne Petrela, Jerry Hoffman, Joe Fria, Jeanine Anderson, Steve Marvel, Suzanne Petrela, Terra Shelman and Blake Silver. On stage at the International City Theater/Long Beach Performing Arts Center. Runs Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 and Sundays at 2, through Sunday, May 24. For reservations and information, call the ICT Box Office at 562.436.4610 or go to www.ictlongbeach.org
Frédérik invites you to discuss this production at his blog (frederik-sisa.blogspot.com)