Photo courtesy of Clay Shannon
The Mark Twain Circle of America grieves the loss of Hal Holbrook, whose interpretations of Mark Twain taught all of us what great performance means. Those of us privileged to attend his one-man show “Mark Twain Tonight!” understood that despite his protestations to the contrary, he was a serious scholar of Twain’s life and work. We extend our sympathies to his family, close friends and associates, and enthusiastic fans everywhere.
Many of us had the opportunity to meet Hal in Elmira or backstage after one of his shows. We invite you to share your memories of Hal in the comment section below this post.
Elmira, 2013
Mr. Holbrook did a great job depicting Twain, and introduced him to a new generation, expanding Twain's reach, contributing to the edification and enlightenment of many. And his Twain persona was just one element of his life. He made the world a better place.