Theatre South will present Is He Dead?, by Mark Twain, Wednesday through Saturday, Feb. 5-8, at 7:30 p.m. each evening. All performances will take place in the South High School auditorium, 341 Lakeville Rd.
Mark Twain wrote Is He Dead? in 1898, but it was not brought to Broadway until 2007. Seven years later, this comical farce makes its debut on the South High stage. The story centers on a fictional depiction of the famous French painter Jean-Francois Millet—before he became famous. The artist owes an unscrupulous art dealer a great deal of money.
The dealer wants his money or the hand in marriage of Millet’s landlord. Millet offers the dealer any of his paintings as collateral. The dealer wants to know if the artist is dead, since everyone knows that a dead artist’s works are worth more. The dealer leaves without any paintings, but he has given Millet the idea to stage his own death, which he does with the help of his friend. His “death” jacks up the prices of his paintings.
Millet then returns, disguised as his own long-lost sister, to watch over his work and collect the monies. This comedy revels in mistaken identities and romantic deceptions and, of course, has the requisite happy ending. The show is appropriate for those ages 12 and up.
For ticket information, please contact Tommy Marr, South High drama teacher/Theatre South director, at 441-4873 or at tmarr@greatneck.k12.ny.us.
