Churchill Students Bring Mark Twain To The Stage

debuts a new play with a new director Friday in its winter production of Mark Twain’s little known comedy, “Is He Dead?”

Recently resurrected from the Mark Twain archives and polished by playwright David Ives, “Is He Dead?” is a farcical comedy that tells the story of an artist who fakes his own death to inflate the value of his art. Churchill students are some of the first in the area to take on the play, which they’ve described as a familiar but expertly constructed story, written for maximum laughs.

Churchill drama students have been working to polish their slapstick and situational comedy since January with Lynda Scionti, who joined Churchill’s teaching staff this year.

“This was a good pick and the talent is phenomenal here. [The students] are having a whole lot of fun,” Scionti said. “Working with this caliber of talent and watching them learn and grow – it really has been a joy.”

The play’s main character is Jean-François Millet, the 19th century French painter of "The Gleaners" and other masterpieces depicting peasant life. As the play opens, the impoverished Millet, played by Alex Bankier, is trying to figure out how to pay off his many debts. His paintings aren't selling and his mood is worsening with every day. 

At the urging of friends, Millet decides to fake his death to increase the value of his art. It’s a perfect ruse, with Millet posing as his widowed sister, Daisy, to collect the money of his “posthumous” sales. Once Millet puts on his first evening gown to pose as Daisy, the play turns into riotous slapstick, with characters entering and exiting at screwball speed.

Students say the new play and their new director have opened their minds to new interests and opportunities that they now couldn’t imagine life without.

Jonathan Goldman, a junior, will be playing his first stage roll as the comedy’s villain, Bastien Andre. Goldman said that he had always been interested in acting in theatre, but until recently, that passion has been mostly spent backstage.

“It’s been kind of a challenge for me, but in the end with the help of [Scionti] I’ve really come into the character and started to add my own spin to the play,” Goldman said. “She inspired me to start to try acting again.”

Though Goldman appreciates the way Scionti and the production have pushed him to find his potential, he says he most appreciates the friends he’s found while rehearsing.

Erik Rigaux, a junior playing the role of Chicago, agreed.

“If there is ever a day where there’s no rehearsal or not a show going on, I feel out of my element,” he said. “There’s no group of people I’d rather hang out with than the theater group.”

Show times are Friday, Feb. 24, and Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 26, at 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $8.00 presale online at www.wchsdrama.org, or $10 at the door.