‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ Opens At Springhouse Theatre

By Anthony Czelusniak

Motlow Buzz Reporter

SMYRNA, Tenn. – Springhouse Theatre in Smyrna opened its production of “Mark Twain Presents the Adventures of Tom Sawyer” on April 8, giving the classic tale a unique twist.

“The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” is the story of a boy from the mid-1800s who found himself in many adventures. Tom skipped school, dug for buried treasure, and even served as the key witness to a murder.

This particular adaptation of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” added the unique perspective of Mark Twain interjecting his thoughts on the tales between each scene. The character Tom Sawyer was based on the childhood of Mark Twain, drawing inspiration from his own experiences and the adventures of boys he grew up with. The presence of Mark Twain as a character to the story gave the classic novel a new angle. 

Jack Gilpin as Mark Twain
(Provided by Kenn Stilger)

“It was a lot of fun trying to match the way Mark Twain would speak,” said Jack Gilpin who played Mark Twain, “The famous Twain wit is hard to match but getting it right was made simple by the excellent volunteers here.”

While Mark Twain wrote the original “Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, playwright Mike Parker adapted it for the stage. Parker moved from Texas to Nashville in 1993. He is no stranger to adapting novels into stage productions. He has written two other successful plays, “Fail-Safe the Stage Play” and “Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray”. Parker has a long history in acting on stage as well as being a stage director in many plays.

Springhouse Theatre is local to Smyrna and part of the Springhouse Worship and Arts Center. Opened in 2004, The Theatre provides a professional and open experience to the community. Even though the theatre is operated by a Christian ministry, it is not a requirement to be part of the ministry to audition for the plays hosted there. Volunteers make of a majority of the staff at the theatre, including a board of directors, of which Parker is a member.

               Directed by Ronnie Meek, the cast is comprised of all local talent. William Hearn stars as Tom Sawyer with Jack Forte as Huckleberry Fin and Gilpin as Mark Twain.

                “Working with all local talent is fantastic, and having all these volunteers come out and give something to the community really is special,” Meek said, “I really am proud of what we can accomplish here at the theatre.”

The cast of Mark Twain Presents The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
(Provided by Springhouse Theatre)

 

Tickets can be purchased at www.springhousetheatre.com. The play runs every Friday and Saturday throughout the month of April. Doors open at 7 p.m.

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