The historic portrayal will be performed at the Clinton Center at 10:00 a.m. in room 220. The performance will be repeated at the Casey Center at 6:15 p.m. The Clinton Center is located at 1273 KY Highway 90 W, Albany, Kentucky 42602; and, the Casey Center is at 3609 N. US 127, Liberty, Kentucky 42539.
Born November 30, 1835 in Florida, Missouri, Mark Twain (originally named Samuel Clemens) penned several novels including two major classics of American literature, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He was also a riverboat pilot, humorist, lecturer, journalist, publisher and inventor. His mother, Jane Lampton, was born in Adair County, Kentucky, where she met Clemens' father, who was clerking at a law office in Columbia, Kentucky. They married and spent two years living in Columbia before moving to Tennessee and eventually to Missouri.
With his gift for storytelling and developing unique and interesting characters, Twain single-handedly put American literature on the map. He lived many lifetimes in one, traveled much and entertained many with his particular sense of humor. But that humor was borne on the back of great sorrow and many personal tragedies.
Robert Brock portrays Mark Twain for Kentucky Chautauqua. Robert F. Brock is an assistant professor of theatre at Lindsey Wilson College. He recently served as the artistic director at Kentucky Repertory Theatre in Horse Cave. Prior to that, he served as the theatre's education director for four years. He has worked with Actor's Theatre of Louisville, the Folger Theatre Group, the Fulton Opera House and Off-Broadway. He received a master of fine arts degree in acting from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and a bachelor of arts in theatre from the University of Kentucky. He has worked closely with the Governor's School for the Arts, teaching audition
workshops and helping with the selection process. He also teaches part-time for Western Kentucky University's Glasgow campus.
Kentucky Chautauqua is an exclusive presentation for the Kentucky Humanities Council, Inc. with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and from: Christina Lee Brown, the Brown-Forman Corporation, the Cralle Foundation, the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, Lindsey Wilson College, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, PNC Bank in Lexington, Scripps Howard Foundation, Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, Inc., Union College, WCPO-TV, and Western Kentucky University.
The Kentucky Humanities Council is a non-profit Kentucky corporation affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities. It is not a state agency, but is a proud partner of Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. For information, visit www.kyhumanities.org or call (859) 257-5932.