Wry a la LEACOCK Canadian actor John Stark and acclaimed humorist Stephen Leacock have more in common than a country –Stark felt a kinship with the coveted Mark Twain Medal winner in the first grade, when he began to use humor to party cruel taunts with clever comebacks. The connection strengthened as he matured, and finally bore fruit in 1972 when he premiered his performance portraying Canada’s first internationally-renowned writer to a Canadian Literature class at Simon Fraser University-and they laughed at his beloved Leacock. Thus was launched a lifelong quest to recreate the globe-trotting humorist’s inspired tomfoolery. Stark collected Professor Leacock’s extensive writings and interviewed relatives, friends and students in the pundit’s McGill University classes to recreate the magic of the man who mimicked every avaricious, dishonest, sacred and corrupt aspect of society and stood up for underdogs everywhere. And after more than thirty-five years, Stark has now put his performance in print. This is the script of the internationally-acclaimed one-man show he has toured with throughout the world, based on his own link with a man who knew tragedy and turned it into a triumphant look at life with a smile, a laugh and a simple philosophy that can still uplift generations.