The Diaries of Adam and Eve - Reading of Mark Twain's Classic
Live performance on 07/23/2023 at the Limelight Theatre, Saint Augustine, FL
Stephen C Mitchell as Adam, Linda Hall as Eve
As honored as I am to play the role of Adam, coupled with the honor of reviving a great piece of literature, penned by the legendary Mark Twain (or Samuel Clemens, depending on your perspective), an actor is obliged to ask when doing a period piece, "Is the costuming going to be authentic to the period," and given the particular period this historical piece is about, I began an extensive study on the size, texture, and variations of fig and grape leaves.
I've had fun in my career playing some legendary larger than life characters. I've portrayed Mythological Kings, Legendary Monsters, and Biblical figures. I've played the angel of Death, the Devil, and even God. Now, on July 23rd, I'm going to play the role of the man who first stepped forth into the world. Mark Twain's original short story was a collection of perspectives and observations from Eve, published as "The Diaries of Eve." Later, Twain added to the perspective, acknowledging that Adam's thoughts in this did offer a unique and notable insight, and published, "Excerpts From the Diaries of Adam." Together, they answer questions that many people have pondered regarding moments that weren't necessarily published in the book of Genesis. While many artists have rendered Adam and Eve in many beautiful scenes demonstrating their content life in Eden, or the despair of what followed, Mark Twain goes into the confusion of the world around them, and gives them a certain equality that is often lacking in depictions of their interaction with a new world.
I have seen a million portraits of Adam, the most famous of which is, of course, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. In most depictions of Adam, I always thought he looked bored. In Michelangelo's famous painting, God is reaching out with the length of his entire being to touch Adam's hand, and Adam can barely be bothered to sit upright and stretch out his arm entirely. Who does Adam think he is?! Dude, it's God, make an effort! Eve is always portrayed as either dumb or willfully deviant. None of these depictions actually evaluate who these people were, acknowledge their complexities, or credit them with the intelligence, savvy, and curiosity to be the parents of humanity, the first world explorers, or the result of intelligent design.
In "The Diaries of Adam and Eve," we get to see a more realized version of the characters. Whether you believe the original telling from the Book of Genesis, or have other perspectives, at some point, there were the first moments of feeling the coolness of the water, acknowledging the beauty and comfort of another human being, and the frustration of realizing that sometimes the world just isn't big enough when you truly wish to be left alone for a moment. They were the first parents, the first inventors, the first art critics, the first scientists, and in Eve's observations of the future she knows will come, from them and their experiences, all will be repeated in every child that follows.
Come see "The Diaries of Adam and Eve" at the Limelight Theatre on July 23rd at 7:30. Clothing is required. Though I did discover that while fig leaves tend to provide a bit more coverage, I look really great in grapevine green!