Twain portrayal shows how little times have changed

Joblessness, banking debacles and Wall Street greed sound a lot like life in today’s troubled times. Hal Holbrook’s recent Escondido portrayal of America’s seminal writer and social satirist drove home the point that human nature and capitalism have changed little over the past century.

Holbrook brought out the best of Mark Twain’s bite during his nearly sold-out performance at the California Center for the Arts. His show was held in conjunction with an Escondido speakers’ panel and other Twain-related events in that city to the south.

Having portrayed the American icon more than 2,100 times,...