I met this morning with 2 of my top sales people to review your performance.. We enjoyed your
program. We found your looks awesome. You really do look like "the man." Your humorous
stories such as, "no teeth, my mother was happy for that" is VERY funny, and we all laughed. The motivation
you gave the salespeople was, witty, humorous and above all useful
Thanks, Mobile Ed. Productions.
Last Saturday
night, we felt like we'd been visited by a ghost from the past, Mark Twain. Your show is just the perfect show for the
Lincoln Square historic theatre. Since word of mouth is the best advertising, next year we will fill all 1200 seats.
Executive Director Lincoln Square Theatre, Decatur, IL
SRO at The Cumming Playhouse
"An Evening with Mark Twain".
What a delightful occasion. It was a heart lifting experience with humor, so tastefully displayed. The laughter through-out
the performance was gratifying as we promise our patrons the very best entertainment. To top it off it was a
SRO show. A fitting tribute to the great humorist. You will be on our schedule again next season! Thank you Mr. Sutton
for such a lovely evening.
Executive Director, Cumming Playhouse
Your show was fantastic, to see how you could address an eleven year old boy and a man of eighty in the same
audience was AMAZING! Watching everyone singing and tapping toes....yes! The night of that first show I went home
wishing I could have heard every word more clearly ( I am deaf in one ear and have some loss in the other). Vanity keeps me
from wearing hearing aids and times like Friday night make me realize just how much I am missing. Saturday night I was
front and center I was blessed and heard EVERY word. I was so glad you performed again I enjoyed it SO much and appreciated
it more than I can say.
Manager, Velocity International Marketing
It was a great show, everyone enjoyed your protrayal of one of America's favorite humorist. The business stories
were spell binding and hit the mark. The staff was totally engrossed in you speech/performance. We look forward
to a return appearance.
Thanks, President DRA, Knoxville, TN
Thank you so much for your help in raising over $3000.00 for the benefit of Grace to the Nations. The
money will be well spent and the show was just right for our audience.
Thanks, Executive Director, Grace to the Nations
kurtsutton@mindspring.com
| Becky Thatcher on Stage with Mark Twain |
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Severna
Park Voice - Baltimore, MD
Kurt H. Sutton Brought Mark Twain to Life at CAC
By Mary P. Johnson
Kurt H. Sutton has great affection for iconic American author
Mark Twain, having played him on stages across the United States
during the last five years. Currently on tour, Sutton made a stop at Chesapeake
Arts Center’s (CAC) Studio
194 Theatre, which was transformed into the authors comfortable living from for an enjoyable performance Oct 23rd.
Sutton’s Mark Twain show proved to be fun and enlightening
as he brought to life the timeless words of America’s
beloved humorist, whose real name was Samuel L. Clemens. Clemens lived from 1835 to 1910 and worked as a newspaper journalist
and novelist with a firm grasp of history in which he was consistently able to find humor.
Described as “the first American stand up comedian”
by Sutton, we learned that Twain was also a skilled musician who played guitar, banjo, and harmonica. Garbed as an aging twain
in a white suit, his long white hair flowing, the 65-year-old Sutton proved to be an adequate singer and skilled banjo, guitar
and harmonica player. He invited the audience to sing along on a variety of classic American songs like "Bicycle Built for
Two” and “Old Time Religion” that brought a shared sense of homespun fun.
In his two-act performance, Sutton gave us Twain the humorist
and marvelous story-teller, who described families of impeccable breeding along with drifters and drunkards, all equally amusing.
Our laughter grew as twain recounted the challenges he experienced
with learning to ride a bike at age 70 – falling off in every conceivable way. It was hard not to empathize with Twain
when he mused about his own difficulties at ridding himself of the bad habits like smoking, which he famously said he knew
was easy because he quit a thousand times.
Sutton displayed his wide dramatic range as he traced the hard
life of Huck’s friend Old Jim, fleeing with Huck on a raft to find honest work to improve the lot of his family, while
Huck hid Jim from those on the river intent on harming the former slave.
An Evening with Mark Twain proved to be an all-American evening
where we revisited a simpler America;
one that had easily recognizable politicians and its share of corruption.
After the show Sutton returned to the stage to get acquainted
with the audience and let us get to know more about this actor, who was born in Mannheim, Germany during World War II and grew p in Georgia.
He expressed his love of Mark Twain’s works that began during his college days, also recalling those days of unrest
and disagreement over the Vietnam War.
Sutton confided that as he matured, he gained respect for all
who served this country in the armed forces and asked veterans in the audience to stand so he could honor them. The audience
then joined Sutton in singing "God Bless America” accompanied by
his guitar for a proud and meaningful ending to an evening that truly celebrated the best of America.
By Barbara P. Jacoby Cherokee Tribune, Managing Editor Cherokee Tribue
The 1876 novel by Mark Twain tells the tale
of a boy growing up in a small town along the Mississippi River in the years following the Civil War.
Arts Center Artistic Director Gay Grooms
said she decided to apply after seeing "Tom Sawyer" had been added to the NEA's list of choices for the project.
"Part of the focus of The Big Read is to
encourage reluctant or lapsed readers, many of whom, statistically speaking, are adolescent boys, to pick up a great novel
and read again. What better book than 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' to give to a young fellow to get excited about reading?"
she said, noting the arts center also has produced a play based on the book, most recently in 2006.
Through a partnership with the Sequoyah Regional
Library System, the arts center will present six weeks of activities kicking off in February.
Plans include local performances by Canton
native Kurt "Mr. Twain" Sutton, who brings the famed author to life in a one-man show. Sutton was in character to entertain
guests during the arts center's recent "Tom Sawyer" shows.
As part of The Big Read, Sutton will visit
local libraries and middle and high schools, where as Twain he will distribute free copies of "his book," as well as tell
stories and sing songs of the period andplay banjo and guitar. .
Community events in the works include mini-raft
building contests, treasure hunts and a Becky Thatcher Tea Party at Tea Leaves and Thyme in Woodstock, Mrs. Grooms said.
The culminating event will be performances
of the "Tom Sawyer" play at the arts center. For Carson Ray, regional supervisor of youth services
for the library system, "It seemed so natural that the library be a part of this literacy initiative.
I imagine us bringing Cherokee County alive with literacy," she said, noting "Tom Sawyer" is among her favorite novels. "We'll
be dragging literacy out of the mud, cleaning it up and putting a shine on it."
bjacoby@cherokeetribune.com
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The Lincoln Square Theatre Seat
This was an interesting and moving award surprise.
After my performance at the Lincoln Square Theatre I I was presented with a permanent seat in
the theatre with a plaque commemorating "An Evening with Mark Twain".
The Lincoln Square Theatre is one of the oldest theatres in the country and is being beautifully restored
to its former glory, which was enhanced by live performance by Bob Hope, Glen Miller Orchestra, the great magician Houdini
and many other great performers.
But perhaps the greatest distinction is that it was on this site that Abraham Lincoln announced his candidacy
for the Presidency.
To have a permanent seat in such company and in this classic theatre is a tribute to Mark Twain and a gracious
recognition of my work.
Last night's performance of "An Evening with Mark Twain" a one man show, featuring Kurt H. Sutton
was an exercise in dramatic art. Mr. Sutton was outstanding playing the part of Mark Twain and several of his characters
including Huckleberry Finn, Miss Watson and Jim.
Mr. Sutton moved through the characters with ease and the humorous stories flowed smoothly
as the evening flew by. It was a thoroughly enjoyable night of good theatre.
Town Lake Arts Center, Marietta, GA
SRO at Lemon Bay Playhouse
Kurt,
I've heard nothing but raves
concerning your performance here. That kind of feedback lets us know that we are on the right track. I only hope our future
bookings of outside performers works out as well as yours. You have set a high benchmark for us!
Thanks again, Managing Director
Lemon Bay Playhouse, Englewood, Fl
www.twainquotes.com
| Award Winning Actor Kurt H. Sutton |
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Some of the Organization for which Mr. Sutton has performed for fundraising purposes:
Grace to the Nations
Cheshire County YMCA
Friends of the Library, Newton,NC
Shelton House Museum
NEA Big Read Project and TLAC Theatre
Retirement and Assisted Living Performances
Arbor Acres - Winston-Salem, NC
Well Springs - Greensboro, NC
Friendly Homes - Greensboro, NC
Friendly Homes West - Greensboro, NC
Oak Springs - Buford, GA
The Sandy Ridge Home - High Point,NC
Bermuda Village-High Point,NC
Schooner Cove Damariscotta, ME
Dirigo Pines, Orono, ME
The Woods at Canco, Portland, ME
Pennybryn, High Point, NC
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