Mr. Salassi has put together several "visits" from Mark Twain, all geared for classroom presentations for student audiences of all grade levels....with appropriate level study guides to supplement the live visit. Mr. Salassi has familiarized himself with the more familiar works of Samuel Clemens and the public persona of Mark Twain. And his visit brings the man back, alive, to entertain and amuse with his own musings. Students, both young and older, will find him "unforgettable."
to view short videos (wmv) of Mr. Salassi as Mark Twain,
click here for video 1,
or here for video 2
Mr. Salassi plans to retire his touring at the end of April, 2010
(the
one hundreth anniversary of Sam Clemens' death),
so he is only taking a
limited number of bookings until then.
Please contact him by phone,
e-mail, or snail mail
to book his one-man show at your particular venue.
If you would like to have Mr. Twain drop by and visit your
classroom, or if you would simply like information about rates and
schedules, contact Mr. Salassi by US Mail, by phone, or by email:
Mr. Salassi
PO Box 364
Buda, TX. 78610
1 512.312.9659
Or you may e-mail him at
Richard R. Salassi was born and educated in Vicksburg, Mississippi,
a river town which Samuel L. Clemens visited both during his brief
career as a steamboat pilot and later when he was researching material
for Life on the Mississippi.
Mr. Salassi graduated from University of Southern Mississippi in 1964 and taught English in his hometown and in Louisiana. He moved to San Francisco in 1980 where he became a member of the New Shakespeare Company, touring nationally in As You Like It and The Merchant of Venice. Later he moved to Los Angeles where he taught high school and worked briefly at Universal Studios in their live show: Conan, the Barbarian: A Sword and Sorcery Spectacular!
He was featured on television in several episodes of Our House, Valerie's Family, and Shelley Duvall's Tall Tales.
His film credits include In the Mood and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Mr. Salassi has appeared on the stage in The Gin Game, The Fantasticks, Hamlet, The Taming of the Shrew, The Imaginary Invalid, The Royal Family, Noises Off, Mary, Mary, The Music Man, and many more.
Currently, Mr. Salassi resides in Texas, touring his one-man show and providing classroom visits from Mark Twain, whom he considers one of the true giants of American letters and literature.
