'Mark Twain And Mr. Clemens' At Theatre Of Western Springs

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL — Actor, musician and historian Kurt Sutton will present “Mark Twain and Mr. Clemens!” at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 12 at the Theatre of Western Springs, 4384 Hampton Ave. The performance is a fundraiser for TWS, and the public is invited.

“We are very proud to bring this wonderful show to the western suburbs,” Ann Marie Hultgren, chairperson of TWS’s Performance Series, said in a release. “We’ve heard nothing but raves for Kurt Sutton, and we think there will be great interest in this particular show.”

According to the theatre, the performance is set in Clemens’ parlor and includes storytelling and music. Sutton uses wit and satire as the older Samuel Clemens. Clemens is the iconic figure who created Mark Twain as a means of telling stories. Sutton relates stories told in the fashion of a bygone era, and the results are the hilarity of Twain and the period music of Samuel L. Clemens. In his white suit, Sutton looks the part of the older Twain. He also encourages the audience to participate in songs like “Bicycle Built for Two” and “Old Time Religion,” while Sutton plays either the harmonica, guitar or banjo.

For the last seven years, Sutton has been touring across the United States with his two-act, interactive show. The theatre said Sutton was born in Germany and immigrated to the United States as a young boy in 1950. He grew up in Canton, Georgia and graduated from the University of Georgia in 1968 with a degree in history. It was at college that he first developed an appreciation of Clemens. He was a teacher of history for six years at Western Carolina University where he received his M.A.Ed.

As Mark Twain, he has appeared in national theatres, pleasing audiences with Twain’s hilarious witticisms, wisdom and love of music.

"The tickets will sell out quickly," Hultgren said in a release. "So our advice is to call now for a wonderful evening of Samuel Clemens and Mark Twain."

Tickets are $30 for non-subscribers; $25 for TWS subscribers. Call the TWS box office at 708-246-3380 or buy tickets online.

Photo provided by Theatre of Western Springs.