Public Reading of “Twain and Shaw Do Lunch”

Peninsula Players concludes its new series of play readings, “The Play’s the Thing,” with a public reading of Twain and Shaw Do Lunch by Chambers Stevens at Björklunden on April 30 at 7 pm. There is a suggested donation is $8; students are admitted free.

Angela Iannone

Twain and Shaw Do Lunch is a comedy based on a true event. In 1907 the world’s two greatest living writers had lunch together. Mark Twain, nearing the end of his life, had just traveled the world, paying off his massive debts with a spectacular series of speaking engagements. George Bernard Shaw, on the verge of becoming the greatest playwright since Shakespeare, invited his hero to his house for lunch.

Angela Iannone will direct Twain and Shaw Do Lunch and read the part of Mrs. Shaw. Jim Pickering will read Twain and Jonathan Smoots will read Shaw, while Ross Dippel will read stage directions.

“The Play’s the Thing” provides play writing instruction to high school students from Gibraltar and Sevastopol schools. These students wrote plays for a contest to be judged by Players’ company members; the results will be announced at the reading of Twain and Shaw Do Lunch. The winner will receive $100 and have their play read publicly.

Jonathan Smoots

“The Play’s the Thing” is funded in part by a grant from the Peninsula Arts Association and the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin, as well as generous grants from Ministry Door County Medical Center, Door County Community Foundation Arts Fund and the Raibrook Foundation.