"Is He Dead?" by Mark Twain Opens at the Beck Center

Is He Dead? revolves around a small group of friends living in Paris during the turn of the century attempting to make ends meet in any way they can. Trapped by a contract, painter Jean-François Millet owes either his paintings or an enormous sum of money to the despicable Bastien Andre. While considering buying one of Millet’s paintings a potential customers asks, “Is he dead?” and explains that an artist is so much more talented once he or she is deceased. Millet’s companions Chicago, Dutchy, and O’Shaughnessy are inspired by this question and decide to fake Millet’s death in order to drive up the prices of his paintings. They decide that it would be best if it were an exotic, drawn out disease during which they can really milk the art world for all it’s worth. But there’s only one problem: what to do with the real Millet who is still alive and well? The answer turns out to be quit simple: why, put him in drag, of course!

Millet dresses was the Widow Tillou, Millet’s grieving sister for the remainder of the play. Nicholas Koesters is hilarious as Millet/Tillou. He switches between asides to the audience in his gruff Millet voice and to everyone else in his slightly-less-than-gruff Tillou voice. He must learn to walk in heels, sit in a dress, keep up the façade of grieving for his brother (himself) and pretend he is not in love with Marie Leroux. The second act ratchets up the mistaken identity and makes for some very well-timed physical comedy.

The entire cast works well as an ensemble and a particularly notable performance is given by Mark Seven. His portrayal of several supporting characters, each one quirkier than the last, is quite memorable.

Beck Center for the Arts presents the Cleveland premiere of the Mark Twain comedy, Is He Dead?, on the Mackey Main Stage, February 5 through 28, 2010. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. Special 10 a.m. weekday matinees will take place February 11, 18, and 19. Tickets are $28 for adults, $25 for seniors (65 and older), $17 for students (with valid ID), and $10 for children (12 and under). Written by Twain in 1898, Is He Dead? richly intermingles elements of burlesque, farce, and social satire. Discovered by a Mark Twain scholar in 2003, Is He Dead? was adapted for modern audiences by talented playwright David Ives and staged on Broadway in December 2007 to strong critical reviews.