Is He Dead? is a wild farce about the real artist Jean-François Millet, who can’t sell a painting to save his life. Facing debtor’s prison, his outrageous solution is to fake his own death to increase the value of his paintings—and continue life disguised as his “sister”. As the riotous scheme unfolds, Millet faces the dilemma of how to return to life, continue painting and marry his love. Throughout, Twain examines fame, greed and the value of art, all while poking his signature fun at everyone involved. A hilarious romp that will catch modern audiences by surprise.
Note
Written in 1898 by master novelist and satirist Mark Twain, Is He Dead? remained unpublished until it was rediscovered in the Twain archives in 2002. It was adapted for the modern stage by renowned playwright David Ives in 2007 and starred the Tony Award winning Norbert Leo Butz.
