TheatreWorks' 'Mark Twain' Rambles Into Peninsula

PALO ALTO, CA — San Francisco Peninsula book stores may realize a resurgence of interest in "Huckleberry Finn" come Oct. 2, as Mark Twain's Mississippi river boat days are coming to the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts stage thanks to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley.

The Tony Award-winning theater company based in Palo Alto celebrates its 50th anniversary season with the West Coast premiere of "Mark Twain’s River of Song." The play charts a journey down the Mississippi River as a rousing new musical, sharing the humorous and heartwarming stories of one of America's most treasured writers who started his career at the Virginia City Enterprise in the Nevada mining community.

Act 1 highlights the sunrise on the river, with Act 2 set at sunset.

"He is a wonderful, legendary character to be a part of. And it's Mark Twain, so it's funny," veteran actor Dan Hiatt of Oakland told Patch.

The 64-year-old Hiatt, who's acted for four decades, said working on the play has spawned his interest in reading the classic book after so many years. He admitted to cramming a history lesson into his character research.

The interesting part of playing such a legendary character is ensuring the audience sees that person in every possible way.

"Everybody has an idea of Mark Twain. I was trying to get out of the way of him," Hiatt said he's learned through rehearsals, also citing the passages as "fun to do."

Twain is known for his one-liners that stand the test of time, as in "Whiskey's for drinking, water's for fightin' over."

Hiatt's favorite for this theater performance is that Twain played as an older man says he's "pushing 80, and that's all the exercise he needs."

Another aspect Hiatt took away from the theater performance that he also expects others will is the music behind the acting.

Music enthusiasts will enjoy a strong Mississippi blues and folk influence.

History buffs will note the overtones of U.S. racial relations that are as timely as ever.

Developed by Randal Myler and Dan Wheetman, creators of TheatreWorks favorites "Fire on the Mountain" and Tony-nominated "It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues," this rollicking adventure features guitars, banjos, and harmonicas in a music-filled voyage that will have audiences tapping their toes.

The play will run through Oct. 27 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts located at 500 Castro St.

Tickets that cost $30 to $100 may be obtained along with more information by visiting theatreworks.org or calling 650-463-1960.