Portland Center Stage
Ben Franklin: Unplugged

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Written and performed by Josh Kornbluth

"This 'Ben' is healthy, hilarious and wise... a hilariously disarming, enchanting, and ingenious tale." Rob Hurwitt, San Francisco Chronicle

Gazing into the bathroom mirror one morning while shaving, Josh Kornbluth is suddenly struck with the thought that he looks remarkably like the guy on the $100 bill. Like any good Jewish son, he immediately calls his mother. In what is both an autobiographical sketch and an exploration of Benjamin Franklin's family life-- focusing on the founding father's relationship with his illegitimate son William-- Kornbluth creates an engaging and witty free-form detective story. As his investigations about Franklin take us from the hallowed halls of academia to his richly comic interactions with his mother Bunny and Aunt Birdie, Kornbluth shares with us his discoveries about America's history, family foibles, and the surprises that still lay in store for us in what we think are familiar stories.

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