Anna Deavere Smith and Basil Biggs: A Live Performance in Gettysburg

Anna Deavere Smith and Basil Biggs: A Live Performance in Gettysburg
July 2, 7:30-9 p.m.
Kline Theatre, Brua Hall, Gettysburg College

In honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, acclaimed playwright, actor, and professor Anna Deavere Smith brings Basil Biggs to Gettysburg for a special presentation of selected scenes. Developed for ArtPhilly’s What Now: 2026 Festival, Smith’s new play traces the life of her great-great-grandfather, Basil Biggs—a farmer, veterinarian, and Underground Railroad operative who was contracted to disinter the Union dead following the Battle of Gettysburg.

Drawing on archival material, Smith imaginatively reconstructs the lives of Biggs, his family, and their community as they navigated one of the most turbulent moments in American history. This special show offers a glimpse into a larger work that reflects Smith’s creative mission: to blend historical fact with artistic interpretation, illuminating individual stories that speak to the broader American experience.

Anna Deavere Smith will engage in a Q&A immediately after the performance. The program is presented by Gettysburg History in partnership with the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College and will be hosted at the Kline Theatre by the College’s Theatre Arts Department.

Kline Theatre is located inside Brua Hall on the Gettysburg College campus along West Water Street between Penn Hall Drive and North Washington Street.

Registration is required. Tickets cost $30 for Gettysburg History members and $40 for general admission. Reserve your tickets here.