When George Washington and Ben Franklin talk at this year's Kutztown Folk Festival, they will have just finished making history.

That will be true because they along with the other Founding Fathers had just put their signatures to one of the most famous and important documents in creating the American nation - the Constitution.

Washington was the idolized war hero who led America to independence, and Franklin was the new nation's most respected elder statesman and a world famous scientist.

George Washington (Carl Closs) and Benjamin Franklin (Dean Bennett) will be on stage at the Festival on Saturday, June 28 to invite their audience to return to the past to share and reflect on their experience.

“Return to September 17, 1787 to be exact, and listen in on a conversation between two friends who just signed the newly created Constitution of the United States of America at the end of a long, hot, stifling Philadelphia summer. This is your opportunity to interact with America's two greatest leaders, the very heart and soul of our founding,” said Closs, a well-known George Washington impersonator who has performed across the country. Dean Bennett and Carl Closs, have entertained audiences from coast to coast and been hailed as “living biographers.” They have combined their talents as Dr. Franklin and General Washington for a very unique, interactive, educational and humorous presentation set on the day of the signing of our Constitution.

Bennett is a stage actor who has performed since 1981 throughout the United States as well as overseas. His credits include television, radio, corporate events and even the White House where he performed for President Bush. Appearing in many venues in fact is how he met Carl Closs. After years of frequently appearing at the same events, they collaborated on the creation of this one act play.

Closs has over 25 years experience as a Revolutionary War re-enactor and historian. He is a former educator who has taught school nationally and internationally before entering a career in sales and marketing management. In 1997 he took early retirement and launched his new career as George Washington. His client list, like Mr. Bennett's, is impressive, to include schools, universities, corporate, public and private events as well as television documentaries.