Chautauqua Festival 2025 – American Celebrity – Albert Einstein

Hear his story in his own words. Albert Einstein did things his own way and in his own time. As a toddler, he worried his family when he was slow to speak, but then surprised them when he began to speak in full sentences. He frustrated his teachers since he saw no sense to drill and practice exercises; got correct answers, but did not follow lab procedures and came up with his own. In 1905 he published four scientific papers which would elevate him to international attention within the scientific community. Then, he linked space, time and gravity with his General Theory of Relativity and changed our understanding of the nature of the universe.

Larry Bounds (Albert Einstein)

Larry Bounds has performed on the Chautauqua stage since 2002. Over the years he has portrayed Dicken, Churchill, Disney, Crockett, Von Braun, Cronkite, and Harry Houdini to numerous Chautauqua audiences nationwide. Larry holds a B.A. in theatre and a M.Ed from The University of Tennessee, and he is a National Board Certified educator. For 35 years he taught public high school. He was awarded his school’s Teacher of the Year in 2003 and was recognized as one of the Upstate’s Most Influential Educators by “Parent Magazine” in 2018. He has performed as a professional magician since 1973, including 8 years entertaining with Ripley’s Believe It or Not! The International Brotherhood of Magicians admitted him to the Order of Merlin in 2009.

Based in Greenville, SC, Chautauqua History Comes Alive is interactive theater and the performances offer an astonishing journey into the past allowing the audience to hear stories of the characters in their own words. This year’s character performances are Erma Bombeck (Saturday, June 7); Babe Ruth (Tuesday, June 10); Josephine Baker (Thursday, June 12); Lucille Ball (Saturday, June 14); and Albert Einstein (Tuesday, June 17). Doors open one hour before show, seating is first come, first served. The Chautauqua Festival at the Transylvania County Library is made possible by the generous support of the Friends of the Library.