Mort ou vivant ?

This comedy, which has never appeared in print or on stage, is at last available to the wide audience Mark Twain always wished it to reach. Written in 1898 in Vienna, as Twain emerged from one of the deepest depressions of his life, Is He Dead? shows his superb gift for humor operating at its most energetic. A reflection of Twain's perennial fascination with the theater, the play is sure to become a treasured addition to his remarkable legacy.Elements of farce and social satire work together in Is He Dead? as Twain takes a characteristically wry look at the world market in art. The play centers on a group of poor artists in Barbizon, France, who stage the death of a friend to drive up the price of his paintings. In order to make this scheme succeed, the artists hatch various hilarious plots involving cross-dressing, a full-scale fake funeral, lovers' deceptions, and much more.