Free performance set of one-man show on P.T. Barnum

PHOENIXVILLE >> Phoenixville Public Library will present “P.T. Barnum: The Master Showman,” a fully-staged, one-man entertainment, on Thursday, April 4, at 6:45 p.m., at the Phoenixville Recreation Center, 501 Franklin Ave.

Neill Hartley portrays master showman P.T. Barnum in this exciting and entertaining look at one of the most colorful and wellknown personalities of all time, who brought high and low culture to all of America.

A brilliant and shameless promoter, Barnum gave the wise public of the 19th-century shameless hucksterism, peerless spectacle, and everything in between — enough entertainment to earn the title “master showman” a dozen times over. Barnum weathered accusations of fraud with the attitude that there was no such thing as bad press, and he became one of the richest men in America.

Audiences will watch his fame grow with a parade of freaks and oddities from “The Fejee Mermaid,” the tiny General Tom Thumb to Jumbo the Elephant, and then share his crowning success, “The Greatest Show on Earth!”

Following the performance will be a short informational section about the history of the circus, and of P.T. Barnum’s life outside of the entertainment world, including a short reading from his book, “The Art of Money Getting.” A question-and-answer will conclude the presentation.

Neill Hartley is a professional actor who has performed in many local and regional theaters and is on the theater faculty of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

This event is free and open to the public but registration is required at https://ccls.libcal.com/calendar/Phoenixville/pt-barnum or by calling 610-9333013 x132.

Email mpinto@ccls.org for more information.