The Brown Grand Theatre will present Ken Church in “Twain for Twainiacs” at two 45-minute performances at Fall Fest this year. Immediately following the Fall Fest parade, Church's first performance will be at 11 a.m. and the second performance will be at 1 p.m.
Church is a 73-year-old retired English, speech and drama teacher who taught in Kansas schools for 41 years. Church’s first teaching job was in Concordia in 1974.
This will be the fourth time Church has performed as Mark Twain onstage at The Brown Grand Theatre. His last performance here was nine years ago for The Cook Lecture Series.
His most recent performance in North Central Kansas was for the Washington County Historical Society on June 17.
Church has been performing as Mark Twain since 1972. “I have ‘aged into the part!” Church says. “My goal is to do all I can to allow each listener to feel as though Mark Twain is speaking just to him or her.”
Church is often asked why he portrays Mark Twain, and his answer is threefold: “I love to read Mark Twain, and so do many others. In performing Mark Twain, I get to meet incredible people, many of whom are much more knowledgeable than I am concerning Mark Twain. I also relish the opportunity of introducing Mark Twain to younger audience members. They come with a parent, grandparent, or a friend who shares my sense of responsibility in passing on thoughts of this remarkable man to future generations.”
Following each performance, there will be a question-and-answer session with Church.
The performances are free, but donations are welcome at each performance to help support the Brown Grand’s capital campaign “Giving Voice to the Past, Illuminating the Future.”
