Holbrook brings the truth of Twain to Lima

LIMA — Hal Holbrook never grows tired of portraying author and humorist Mark Twain, a role he's performed for more than 50 years.“This guy tells the truth about the way things are,” the 86-year-old Holbrook said in a phone interview with The Lima News. “I was raised in a family that didn't know the truth very often, so that always appeals to me.”Indeed, Holbrook chronicles his family's dysfunction, as well as his entry into the world of acting in his new book, “Harold: The Boy Who Became Mark Twain.” Now on tour promoting that book, Holbrook recalled his father being committed to an insane asylum by his grandfather, although he was not insane. “So you see, truth is not something I grew up around,” Holbrook said.And when first developing the Twain character as a student at Ohio's Denison University, it was that truth that kept drawing Holbrook back to the character. “At first, I think more than anything, I was drawn to his fresh view of humanity. When I first read Tom Sawyer, I was in a deep valley in my personal life. By the time I hit the second page, I felt better about things in general. I started laughing. Later I got into his heavier stuff and realized this guy is telling the truth about the way things are,” Holbrook explained.And though Twain's writings are from a century past, Holbrook said they still hold true today.“Mark Twain told the truth 100 years ago, but unfortunately nothing has changed. A lot of his stuff is not easy to take, he's very direct. He's just saying what's happening.”It has been reported that Holbrook has more than 16 hours of Twain material committed to memory, and no two of his show are the same.“I really enjoy Twain. You know, I swim laps every day if I can, and when I swim I often think about the Twain material and go over lines in my head. A lot of times I'll finish a lap and be laughing just because something struck me funny. It's good material. I don't try to soften it for any crowd. I have this suicide instinct and I have a great deal of faith in people when they encounter Twain.”The Ohio native, who has won a Tony, an Obie, a Peabody, and five Emmy awards, has performed his legendary Twain before in Lima, coming to town in 2003. He was also the narrator of the PBS documentary, “Lost in Middle America” which focused on Lima.Yet with that Twain exposure, this area has yet to mine all the rich material Holbrook brings to the character.“People are refreshed by hearing the truth. The truth about human nature, about society, about us. Twain is ageless. He's far better if you don't update the material, just present the truth. I don't preach to the choir, I talk to the people.”