“Oh, Mr. Faulkner, Do You Write? comes to the SCHC

Aug. 4, 2009 - PRLog -- The Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation has the unique opportunity to present what has been labeled by many as a southern classic! “OH, MR. FAULKNER, DO YOU WRITE?” is John Maxwell’s one-man show based on the life of Mississippi’s own, William Faulkner, and it will be presented on Thursday, October 1st at 6:30pm at the SCH Auditorium.  This enjoyable evening will include dinner and entertainment and a fun time for all.  There will also be a cash bar available that night.  Tickets are available in advance only and are $30 per person for SCHF and $35 for nonmembers.  Private/Corporate table reservations are available for $250.  Tickets go on sale Friday, August 7 and are available at the SCHF Business Office, Highway 61 Coffeehouse and Paper Plus.    

Since premiering the show in 1981 at New Stage Theatre in Jackson, MS, the show has traveled to twelve foreign countries and most of the continental United States. It’s soaked with the wonderful story telling tradition of the south and is both humorous, and tragic, as well as deeply provocative. As the Atlanta Constitution puts it, it’s a must see”, and should be “required seeing for everyone!”. We see William Faulkner on the day after he has been told he is to be the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature. He has refused to go to Stockholm to accept because there’s “just too much work on the farm”. After initially resisting his audience, he begrudgingly begins to “open up”, and what his audience is treated to is a gold mine of southern culture.

Stories about his family abound, but that’s not all. Also included is a question/answer sequence with an imaginary English class that is both marvelously funny, as well as deeply insightful. In the end, Mr. Faulkner does decide to go to Stockholm, and the play concludes with a glorious presentation of the Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, a speech generally regarded as one the finest ever presented.

John Maxwell is a writer and performer from Jackson, Mississippi. Maxwell holds a Masters Degree in Theatre from The University of Mississippi and has been the recipient of a Tennessee Williams Scholarship to study playwriting at The Sewanee’s Writer’s Conference.  He is best known for his portrayal of William Faulkner in “Oh, Mr. Faulkner, Do You Write?”.  The play has been performed steadily since its world premiere at Jackson's New Stage Theatre in 1981 . It appeared as a film, directed by Jimbo Barnett, in 2006, and was released on DVD in 2008.  In 2006, he received the "Best Actor" Award at the Atlanta Film Festival for the film version of “Oh, Mr Faulkner, Do You Write?”.  He is a member of both Actor’s Equity and Screen Actors Guild, and has appeared in numerous films for screen and television. Most recently he received The Best Actor Award for the screen version of “OH, MR. FAULKNER, DO YOU WRITE?” at The Atlanta Film Festival and a Best Actor Nomination for the same role in the Meth Film Festival in Los Angeles.

Be a part of this extraordinary experience with a Mississippi legend. Space is limited and reservations are required.  To register or for more information, call the SCHF business office at (601) 631-2997 or email info@southernculture.org.

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The SCHF, a non-profit organization, that maintains the Southern Cultural Heritage Center is Vicksburg, MS. The Center is a Mississippi Landmark property and formerly the St. Francis Xavier Convent and Academy. It is one of the most architecturally and historically significant city blocks in downtown Vicksburg.