In response to overwhelming demand, Spoleto Festival USA, in partnership with SC250, will present free simulcasts of two sold-out Festival programs: An Evening with Ken Burns and George + George. These special presentations create new opportunities for audiences to experience two of the Festival’s most anticipated events as part of the nationwide America 250 commemoration.
Presented at the Charleston Visitor Center, the simulcasts extend access beyond the theater, inviting the public to gather in a shared civic setting for live screenings of programs that explore history, democracy, identity, and national reflection. Both events are part of Spoleto Festival USA’s America 250 programming and reflect a shared commitment to making meaningful artistic experiences available to broader audiences.
An Evening with Ken Burns, Presented by Bank of America, is a luminous celebration of America’s 250th year featuring the acclaimed filmmaker in a live program reflecting on the struggles and ideals that shaped a nation and transformed the world. Through sweeping music, vivid imagery, and Burns’s signature storytelling, the program draws from The American Revolution to illuminate both a war for independence and a revolution of ideas—an upheaval whose promises and contradictions still echo today. Part conversation, part concert, this narrative and musical meditation honors the spirit of independence and the enduring pursuit of the principles on which America was founded.
George + George, a world premiere by Festival favorites Denis O’Hare and Lisa Peterson, is a comedic romp through the American Revolution that reimagines the founding era with sharp humor and theatrical flair. Set at Valley Forge in 1778, the inventive new work imagines George Washington rallying his troops by staging Joseph Addison’s Cato—despite a colonial ban on theater—only to face an unexpected twist when King George III learns of the production and decides to attend incognito. Blending satire, history, and questions of democracy and leadership, the work offers a timely and entertaining reflection on the ideals at the heart of the America 250 commemoration.
“These simulcasts are a direct response to extraordinary public interest in these programs,” said Spoleto General Director and CEO Mena Mark Hanna. “We’re pleased to work with SC250 to create new ways for audiences to participate in these important conversations and to ensure these experiences can reach beyond the walls of the performance venue.”
As South Carolina’s official commission assigned to encourage and promote the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, SC250 is partnering with organizations across the state to support programs that engage communities in reflection on the nation’s history, ideals, and evolving story. The Spoleto Festival’s simulcasts are funded in large part through a grant from SC250.
“Charleston is a place where history is not only remembered but actively experienced, and these simulcasts carry that legacy forward,” said Marissa Sams, Executive Director of SC250 Charleston. “Together with Spoleto Festival USA, we are proud to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary through cultural programming that will now be available to the wider public.”
By pairing artistic excellence with accessibility, the simulcasts underscore a shared commitment to civic dialogue, cultural reflection, and public engagement at a pivotal national moment.
Simulcast Details
Simulcast of An Evening with Ken Burns, Presented by Bank of America
- Wednesday, May 27 at 8:00 p.m.
- Charleston Visitor Center
- Free
Simulcast of George + George
- Saturday, May 30 at 5:00 p.m.
- Charleston Visitor Center
- Free
Tickets and information are now available at spoletousa.org.