An Evening with Mark Twain

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About

By 1900, Samuel L. Clemens (“Mark Twain”) was the most well-known American in the world. He wasn’t just an American, but as Twain said himself, “I am THE American.” Ernest Hemmingway once remarked, “…all American literature arises from one book: Huckleberry Finn.” But there were many more: Tom Sawyer, Roughing It, Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Innocents Abroad, Following the Equator, Puddin’head Wilson, The Gilded Age and hundreds of other books, pamphlets, magazine articles, speeches and lectures.

Since his first reading of Mark Twain, Don Shelby has collected the works of the famous author, read every biography written about him, as well as studying his letters, speeches and his autobiography published a century after his death.

In 1973, Don met Mr. Hal Holbrook who had won the Tony Award for his performance in “Mark Twain Tonight,” on Broadway. Don was fascinated by Holbrook for two reasons: Don began his interest in performance as a theatrical makeup artist and because Holbrook and Shelby revered the same author. Shelby was often invited backstage by Holbrook as he donned the famous Twain makeup.

In the late 1980s, Shelby began performing as Mark Twain, but creating a show distinct from Holbrook’s performances. Don has staged his presentation of Mark Twain based only on Twain’s actual words in books, articles and platform performances. He has performed his show in New Orleans, Louisiana, aboard the vaunted Delta Queen Steamboat and to nearly 10,000 theater goers here at home. Notably, he toured as Mark Twain with the VocalEssence Ensemble singers for two years in “River Songs.”

At this performance, Don will include passages of Holbrook’s performance in honor of his mentor’s passing at the age of 95 in 2021 with the expressed permission of the Mark Twain Foundation where Hal Holbrook’s original notes from Mark Twain Tonight are lodged and protected.

DON SHELBY (Mark Twain) is considered the most decorated local news anchor in the country with two George Foster Peabodys, the broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize, three National Emmys with the WCCO-TV I-Team and the Distinguished Service Award from the National Society of Professional Journalists, among hundreds of other honors. He anchored WCCO-TV’s newscasts for 32 of his 55-year career in journalism. But, like his predecessor, Dave Moore, his very first love was theater.

Upon his retirement from the news desk in 2011, Don appeared in the Lab Theater’s production of Rocky Horror, appearing with numerous Guthrie actors in a performance of 8 at the Varsity Theater. He was a featured actor in Safe at Home at the Mixed Blood Theatre, and he has performed more than 200 times, in character, as Mark Twain in shows at performing arts centers throughout the state, in New Orleans and even aboard the legendary Delta Queen Riverboat on the Mississippi River in St. Louis. Don was inducted to the Broadcast Hall of Fame, as well as the Silver and Gold Circles by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He is a Trustee of the Science Museum of Minnesota, as well as seven other boards ranging from climate change to racial healing. He is on the board of directors of VocalEssence. Don is the author of the book “The Season Never Ends” and has written the foreword to more than a dozen books. He has raised more than $100 million in charity donations. Over the past several years, Don was delighted to be paired with one of his dearest friends, Nancy Nelson, to perform in the Pulitzer-nominated production of Love Letters at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres.