Mark St. Germain and Guests Read From His New Book at Great Barrington Public Theater

Great Barrington Public Theater Hosts Popular Playwright and Humorist Mark St. Germain with Special Guests reading from his new book, Walking Evil: How man's best friend became man's worst enemy, November 28, 2pm, St. James Place.

Mark St. Germain is one of the Berkshires' favorite, most respected and recognized writers, with a career spanning stage and screen, and credits too numerous to list. His plays Freud's Last Session and Becoming Dr. Ruth remain audience favorites everywhere. Dad, a memoir play about his hard-crusted father, opened the GBPT 2021 season, and Eleanor, about the inimitable Eleanor Roosevelt, premiered at Barrington Stage Company a short time later. He's loved for writing with clarity, empathetic insight, poignancy and wise, sharp wit.

Largely a stage and screenwriter, he's now written a new book about his truelife experience with a demonic rescue dog Evie that upturns notions of canine fidelity and devoted love, and upturned his perceptions of life in general. Just as his longtime marriage was coming undone and he entered a new, unexpected and uncharted phase of life, enter a dog that can only be described as a living hellhound. Walking Evil: How man's best friend became man's worst enemy, available on Amazon, is a memoir of that period, when he was pitted against an incorrigible companion who could chew through hotel doors, demolish furniture, eat car seats, escape any cage, edit his work by shredding it and remain oblivious of him other than as a food dispenser.

Though her name was Evie, she soon answered to Evil. She refused obedience, despised and ignored expensive training, generally unraveled her 'master's' already frayed moorings and drove him to seek help from dog trainers, psychics, human and animal shrinks and even consult a priest about exorcism. If you ever had or now have an impossible pet, Mark's hilarious recounting of his time with Evil will help you laugh while you suffer. For lovers of Bad Dogs and Good Dogs, Walking Evil is a classic dog-bites-man comic memoir, when man's best friend becomes his worst enemy. Readers say the book is "diabolically hilarious"; "a very funny, touching story"; "a great, fun read". As one reviewer put it, "The insight of the book is to never bet against the hound."

On Sunday, Nov. 28, 2pm, St. James Place, Great Barrington Public Theater hosts Mark and actor friends reading excerpts from the book, followed by an audience talkback. The readers also include Donna Bullock, Peggy Pharr Wilson and Jim Frangione. Tickets are $15 and available on Eventbrite. Updates are available on the company website and Facebook.

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