Chautauqua Festival 2025 – American Celebrity – Babe Ruth

Hear his story in his own words. In the annals of American sports history, no name resonates as profoundly as that of George Herman “Babe” Ruth. Known as the Sultan of Swat, Ruth wasn’t just a baseball player; he was a cultural phenomenon. His unprecedented hitting and larger-than-life personality transformed him into America’s first true national sporting celebrity. His career coincided with the rise of mass media and the Roaring twenties, creating a perfect storm for the birth of a new kind of American idol.

Kevin Treu (Babe Ruth)

Kevin Treu has been a Professor of Computer Science at Furman University since 1992 and has served as chair of the Department of Computer Science since 2004. In 2023 he was honored with the Chiles-Harrill Award for contributions made to the lives of students.  Away from Furman, Kevin has been an actor, director and playwright in the local upstate theater community for nearly 30 years.  He recently received Director of the Year honors for “Hank Williams: Lost Highway” at the Spartanburg Little Theater.  He has been the head coach of the Devenger Dolphins summer league swim team for more than 20 years and regularly competes in open water swim races all over the country.  He is a passionate lifelong baseball fan, but unfortunately his Pittsburgh Pirates have not won a World Series in almost 50 years.

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.