Actor Ryan Clemens, relative of Mark Twain (penname of writer Samuel L. Clemens) will bring his show Meet Mark Twain to WTA’s Gateway on Friday, March 22. His performance brings to life the celebrated American author and demonstrates that Twain’s wit and wisdom remain poignant and laugh-out-loud funny today, more than a century after his passing. The performance is at 7:30 pm. The Gateway is at 329 West Main in downtown Waynesboro.
Meet Mark Twain was created by Ryan in honor of his ancestor. When asked how close a relative he is to Clemens, he says, “Pretty far removed, but pretty darn close for a guy who died 100 years ago and left no direct descendents.” He laughs and adds, “Actually, I tell people that he’s my great-great-great-great-grandfather’s brother’s son.” Ryan, a member of the Virginia Stage Company, has been doing his Mark Twain for more than a decade. He was inspired by his acting idol, Hal Holbrook, who present Twain in his classic one-person show.
The tour of Meet Mark Twain is part of the outreach of the Virginia Stage Company. The company has earned a reputation as one of the country’s foremost regional theaters, attracting the nation’s leading artists to the Wells Theatre stage. The Tony Award-winning musical, The Secret Garden, began its life at VSC, and its award-winning directors, designers and actors work in other theaters across the country as well as on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in film and television. VSC also employs professional artisans, technicians and administrators who conceive, design, rehearse and build each production specifically for its audiences in Hampton Roads. These theater professionals come to VSC from all over the country and become vital members of the Hampton Roads community.
WTA’s Gateway performance of Meet Mark Twain is supported by grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge.
Advanced Tickets for the performance are $5 for children under 16 and $10 for adults. Tickets on the day of performance are $7 and $12. Tickets may be purchased online at www.wtagateway.com or by call the box office at540-943-9999.
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