Saint Joseph College Commemorates 100th Anniversary of Mark Twain’s Death With Free Performance of Mark Twain: Unlearning Racism

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — Saint Joseph College is commemorating the 100th anniversary of Mark Twain’s death with a free performance of Mark Twain: Unlearning Racism. The original one-act play, performed by creator Cal Pritner, will take place on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. in the Hoffman Auditorium on the College’s West Hartford campus located at 1678 Asylum Avenue.

Pritner’s performance explores Twain’s standing on race — both his progress and shortcomings — as he moved toward becoming a racially enlightened author and lecturer. “Twain was born into a slave-owning family and by today’s standards, he was a racist well into adulthood,” said Pritner. “But he married into an abolitionist family and made huge changes in his racial attitude. Unfortunately, however, as SJC Professor of English Kerry Driscoll shows in her research, Twain remained prejudiced against American Indians.”

Twain, who was born as Samuel Clemens, lived in Hartford and died on April 21, 1910. Driscoll, a Twain scholar, is currently working on a book, Mark Twain Among the Indians.

The performance is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. For tickets or more information, call the Frances Driscoll box office at 860.231.5555 or visit www.sjc.edu/arts.