“Is He Dead?” will come to life on the newly renovated Richardson Performing Arts Center stage Friday, Nov. 18, and Saturday, Nov. 19, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 20, at 3 p.m.

Mark Twain wrote classic stories such as “The Prince and the Pauper” (1881), “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” (1885), and “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” (1889). But one of his stories that may not be as familiar is “Is He Dead?” in which Twain tells the story of the famous French artist Jean-François Millet.

Although the play was never produced in Twain’s lifetime, largely due to some difficulties in his suggested staging, it has since been found, adapted, and given a second chance by the contemporary comedic playwright, David Ives. Ives found the script tucked away in the University of California Berkeley Bancroft Library archives. After condensing what would have been three acts down to two, shifting the need of 35 actors to 11, and embellishing certain elements and sub-plots, Ives had more or less rescued the play.

For ticket information and to make your reservation, call the SC theatre box office at (620) 221-7720 or e-mail performingarts@sckans.edu.