Review: "Is He Dead" -- Otterbein University Department Of Theatre And Dance

   Mark Twain is one of my favorite writers.  His style appeals to my sense of what makes the world go around.  “Is He Dead” represents Twain’s sojourn into theatre.  It is not his best writing.  As Otterbein Director Mark Mineart explains in the program notes, the original manuscript is three acts long and calls for 35 actors.  The David Ives adaptation maintains Twain’s droll style and streamlines the piece to two acts with eleven actors, including one person who portrays four different characters. 

    Jordan Wood is exceptional as the central character, Jean-Francois Millet, a starving artist in debt to the ruthless lender Bastien Andre’ (Seleymon Ndongo), as is Papa Leroux (Steven Meeker) father of Millet’s true love, Marie (Lauren DiMario).  Millet’s friends -- Chicago, (Jack Labrecque), Dutchy (Evan Moore-Call) and Phelim (Phil Cunningham) -- convince Millet that he must fake his own illness and death while masquerading as a bereaved twin sister, in order to achieve the fame and fortune that only comes to artists after they are dead.

  Ndongo, DiMario, Labrecque, Moore-Call and Cunningham along with supporting cast members Sally Clark (Madame Bathilde), Tristan Gillia (Madame Caron) and Asel Swango (Cecile) all have wonderful stage presence and character commitment.  Ben Folts demonstrates outstanding flexibility and many levels in his depiction of multiple characters. 

   Rebecca White’s costumes are lavish and period appropriate.  Rob Johnson’s scenic design nicely captures the spirit of two very different settings – the meager apartments of a starving artist in the first act and the elegant rooms of the rich Widow Tillou in the second act. 

   The lack of program acknowledgement for the attractive paintings that populate the set in the first act is a minor disappointment.  It is unclear if these are canvases on loan from somewhere or renderings from student artists.

      I am not a great fan of farce, even when it comes from someone like Mark Twain. The outstanding acting skills, the brisk pacing of Otterbein’s rendering of this script under Mineart’s deft direction, and pleasant stage pictures, kept me laughing and held my attention for the entire two hours.