Stopping in Traverse City for an evening, Mark Twain regaled his audience with an hour of salty, wry and incisive observations about life, love and the human condition.
Speaking before 62 people at the Grand Traverse Heritage Center, Dean Robb as Twain held forth in character and captivated his listeners. Playing the noted humorist and author to the hilt, Robb elicited laughs and nods frequently during his wide-ranging talk.
"I was born modest, but it's worn off," he said, launching the evening while donned in a crisp white vested suit. "If you can't get a compliment, pay yourself one."
The trip back in time served as a fundraiser for the Grand Traverse Historical Society, which will use any profits from the event for general operating costs. These costs include additional access to the society's extensive archives. Since the arrival of archivist Peg Sicliano in January, the facility has doubled its public hours. Also, the society is in the process of digitizing its collection of photographs and documents.
"We're pleased, just tickled," said Ann Hoopfer, event coordinator of the Grand Traverse Historical Society, of the Twain event. "The historical society has been connected with Dean for years; he was an officer of the board years ago and real active when they tried to tear down the courthouse."
The former Carnegie library building that serves as the Heritage Center houses six historical organizations, including the Grand Traverse Historical Society. The building is nestled among historic homes on Sixth Street and attendees took a walking tour of the neighborhood after Robb's talk. Local actress Jill Beauchamp, in a turn-of-the-century costume portraying "Arabella Rennie," led the tour, which included a visit to Sunnybank, the extensive gardens of Dee Blair situated across the street from the center.
Mark Twain had visited northern Michigan in 1895, inspired by bankruptcy to complete a cash-generating lecture tour around the country. The Missouri native lived a varied life that included work in journalism, on steamships along the Mississippi River and as an author and lecturer.
Portrayed by Robb, Twain laid out some of his rules for life, concluding that to get to old age people had to make their own rules.
"Smoke only one cigar at a time, and never expensive ones with life belts on," said Robb, whose props include a large cigar, crystal glass and bottle of Jameson Irish whiskey. "I never take any exercise, except resting and sleeping because I never see any excuse for making myself tired."
Robb also read excerpts from the book "Letters from the Earth," which was published 50 years after Twain's 1910 death. With essays touching on lust, love, adultery, religion, warfare and other timeless hot-button issues, Twain's musings sparked controversy.
"It was prevented from publishing by my stiff-necked daughter, Clara," said Robb in character, who earlier noted that the classic "Huckleberry Finn" had been banned in places for it's language despite its strong anti-slavery themes.
After his talk, Robb reflected on the experience of portraying an American icon, however contentious. As a lawyer in the area, for years Robb himself carved out his own take-no-prisoners reputation as a champion of the underdog.
"This one-person show is really a lot of fun because you don't know if I'm on course or not," he said. "I really enjoy doing it, it takes no courage to be someone else. [Twain] is the most unbelievable person, he's got hundreds and hundreds of letters and essays we've never heard about."