The world premiere of George + George brings Festival favorites Denis O’Hare and Lisa Peterson back to Charleston for their third Spoleto collaboration. A comedic romp through the American Revolution, this inventive new work unfolds as a lively staged reading.  

Set at Valley Forge in 1778, George Washington rallies his ragtag troops by staging a British play about the fight for the Roman Republic, Addison’s Cato. There’s just one small problem: the play is forbidden! In fact, all theatre has been banned by the colonies. But seeing it as necessary to boost morale, George Washington commandeers his own troops to put on a show. They hold auditions. One by one the soldiers come in and vie for the juicy parts; and even though he’s not a very good actor, his men talk George into taking on the title role of Cato. After all, he’s fighting a tyrant in real life, certainly he can pretend to fight off the tyranny of Julius Caesar!

Meanwhile, there’s still a war to fight so these rehearsals are a bit of a challenge. Then, a bombshell. Someone (could it be Benedict Arnold?!) has blabbed to King George III that the rebels are performing Cato – only HIS favorite play – only the play in which he appeared as a 12 year old back in London! So KG3 decides he’s going to come incognito to catch the performance.  He also wants to meet this other George – to see what he’s made of – maybe they can sit down and talk things out – put all this nasty war business to bed.   

With sharp humor and theatrical flair, George + George playfully reimagines the founding era and the enduring ideals of democracy.

Join co-creators Denis O’Hare and Lisa Peterson for a talkback immediately following each performance of George + George. 

Denis O’Hare
Denis O’Hare appeared at the Spoleto Festival in the 2023 season in “An Iliad” a work that he and Lisa Peterson created together. Their play, “Song of Rome” played at Spoleto in 2024. Lisa and Denis also wrote, “The Good Book” together in 2015. As an stage actor Denis has performed all over the world. Highlights include: “Here We Are” and “Tartuffe” at the National in London; Helen, Silence, Cunning and Exile for The Public; Into the Woods for Shakespeare in the Park; and An Iliad (Obie and Lucille Lortel Awards) Cabaret, Assassins (Tony nomination),  Major Barbara, Sweet Charity  (Drama Desk Award), Take Me (Tony and Lucille Lortel Awards); and Racing Demon at Lincoln Center. TV includes Evil, 9 seasons of American Horror Story: (Emmy nominations), American Gods, Big Little Lies, The Good Fight, This is Us, True Blood and The Good Wife. Film includes The Parting Glass (also as writer), Swallow, Lizzie, C.O.G., Edgar Allen Poe: Buried Alive, The Proposal, Late Night, The Day Shall Come, Novitiate, Dallas Buyers Club (SAG nomination), Milk (SAG nomination), Changeling, Charlie Wilson’s War, Michael Clayton and 21 Grams.

Lisa Peterson
Lisa Peterson is a two-time Obie winning director and writer. She created and co-wrote An Iliad with Denis O’Hare. She also recently directed their third collaboration, The Song of Rome, at the Spoleto Festival. Prior to that, she directed their play about the creation of the bible, The Good Book, at the Court Theater in Chicago and at Berkeley Rep. Recently, Lisa directed Doug Wright’s Good Night, Oscar at the Goodman, on Broadway and the West End. In addition to many classic plays, Peterson has directed the premiere of new works by Donald Margulies, Tony Kushner, Beth Henley, Chay Yew, Luis Alfaro, and Naomi Wallace and others. She has worked at theaters including the New York Theatre Workshop, Vineyard Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, Primary Stages, Mark Taper Forum, La Jolla Playhouse, Guthrie Theater, Seattle Rep, Arena Stage and many more.

Attendance at all events is subject to the Festival security policy.

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