Media Contact: Leanne Ingle, Communications Specialist, 877-284-6237, ext. 2508

The McCleary Timberland Library will present the world premiere of "The Final Hour of Meriwether Lewis," a new play by local playwright Bryan Willis, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 12. The play is directed by Scot Whitney, artistic director of Harlequin Productions. The Friends of the McCleary Timberland Library are sponsoring this performance. It is free of charge.

The cause of Meriwether Lewis’ death remains one of the most controversial questions in early U.S. history. The play raises other possibilities than the commonly held one that Lewis, a Corps of Discovery leader along with William Clark, committed suicide. "The play tries to get inside the mind of a complex, curious figure in American history. The core of the play is the friendship between the two men (Lewis and Clark), like a ‘buddy’ story," Willis said.

Willis likes producing plays for small audiences in intimate and unusual venues. Several years ago his play, Poe: The Poet’s Journey, premiered at the historic McCleary Hotel. Willis grew up between Summit Lake and McCleary. He lives in Olympia.

Willis’ theatrical works have been produced at the Edinburgh (Scotland) Fringe Festival, on BBC radio, National Public Radio, off-Broadway, and in regional theaters. Willis received the Kennedy Center Gold Medallion for his work with the American College Theater Festival and is a past recipient of a Theater Fellowship from Artist Trust.

The McCleary Timberland Library is located at 121 S 4^th Street, McCleary. For more information, call the library at (360) 495-3368.