Rex Stephenson as Mark Twain

Mark Twain may be about to speak for the last time at Ferrum College.

For more than 40 years, Blue Ridge Dinner Theatre artistic director Rex Stephenson has performed “An Evening with Mark Twain,” a show that re-creates the iconic American author and satirist’s 1909 lecture tour.

Stephenson is honoring the 100th anniversary of Twain’s death by reprising the show at 6:30 p.m. Saturday — a scheduled Friday showing has already sold out.

The final show of Blue Ridge Dinner Theatre’s 2010 season, this performance will be titled “Mark Twain’s Last Lecture Tour,” and a portion of the proceeds will go to St. James Food Bank.

After that, Stephenson intends to retire his white Mark Twain suit.

He said it’s mostly out of a desire to try new things. The Twain play takes up a lot of memory room, and he’d like to clear that space for a different historically based show, such as one based around Will Rogers. Stephens wrote in an e-mail that Rogers “was really a neat fellow and lots of his material about hard times and foolish politicians seems very relevant today.”

Stephenson has played Twain more than 200 times, and even performed as Twain in England. “Twain and I have grown old together,” he said, adding, “I use much less makeup than I used to.”

“Mark Twain’s Last Lecture Tour” will also contain songs and skits performed by the full theater company.

Tickets, $13-$26; children $10.50-$21. For more information call 365-4335 or visit www.blueridgedinnertheatre.com.

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