History At Play

History At Play™, LLC's programs bring you into the world of the historic figure featured. Each live performance is conducted in authentic period attire, with vintage props, and professionally designed sets. Based on primary source research, History At Play™, LLC has been embraced by the historical, educational, and theatrical industries with high-calibre programs, offering a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to ask questions of influential and often forgotten historic figures.

Our living history productions have been featured in news media outlets including WCVB Boston, CBS WBZ Radio, The Associated Press, The Washington Times, and more:

“History At Play’s compelling story-telling is a window into the motivations that drove celebrated American women to push boundaries that changed the course of our society.”
— Josh Lederman, NBC Political Correspondent

"Kalaora is skilled at delving into the personal details, the joys and disappointments that help make the story... compelling and bring it to vivid life... The amount of preparation and attention to detail she put into the production was apparent."
- Rich Fahey, OnBostonStages

History At Play,LLC (HAP, LLC) was founded in 2010 by Artistic Director Judith Kalaora to chronicle the lives of influential and often forgotten women. Offering solo and ensemble immersive living history productions, History At Play, LLC is woman-owned and operated, with a commitment to employ artists from the region.

Kalaora is a professional educator, writer, and living historian. She graduated from Syracuse University Magna cum Laude and completed the Globe Education Program of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre of London, UK. She is internationally acclaimed for her portrayals of Revolutionary War Heroine Deborah Sampson, Leading Suffragist Lucy Stone, Technological Phenom Hedy Lamarr, and Teacher in Space Christa McAuliffe. She is an award winning author, historian, and playwright; who has redefined the purpose of theatre and immersive entertainment as a pop culture teaching tool, exposing audiences to points of view entirely different from their own. She is a New England Foundation for the Arts touring artist; a recipient of Massachusetts Cultural Council awards for her one-woman performance, CHALLENGER: Soaring with Christa McAuliffe, conferred by the Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives; a four-time winner of the Bob Jolly Charitable Trust Grant, and the 2019 recipient of the Dr. Bobby Gilmer Ross Lectureship Series Award granted by the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Judith performs nationwide and online, as History At Play, LLC has created a successful business model that is widely acknowledged and appreciated by both the history and entertainment communities for breaking the mold of traditional hi-caliber touring theatre.

HAP, LLC's programming covers 200 years of history from the American Revolutionary War, to Abolitionism and Suffrage, to World War II, and NASA's Space Shuttle program. The full repertoire includes:

• A Revolution of Her Own! Deborah Sampson – A 60-Minute production highlighting the first woman to successfully enlist, fight in, and be honorably discharged from the American Military; using the alias “Robert Shurtlieff,” Sampson joined the Continental Army and fought bravely in the 4th Massachusetts Regiment, earning the rank of Corporal. She is the first American woman to receive a disabled veteran's military pension and toured the nation sharing her wartime experience.

• Rendezvous with Rachel Revere – A ½ hour interactive production told through the eyes of Rachel Revere, wife of Paul Revere, in the weeks following his famous midnight ride; audiences help Rachel as she struggles to bring the family to safety in the midst of a burgeoning Revolution.

• I Now Pronounce You Lucy Stone – A 1-hour performance chronicling the life of the Massachusetts suffragist, abolitionist and human rights advocate whose powerful orations lead the fight for women’s right to vote in the United States.

• World War Women: The Unsung Heroines of WWII – A 75-minute multi-media production that recounts the stories of international women who risked their lives to defeat Fascism during WWII from flying dangerous missions to descrambling German Enigma messages.

• Tinseltown Inventor: The Most Beautiful Woman in the World Hedy Lamarr – A 1-hour production revealing the transformation of an incredible woman; a brilliant scientist and inventor behind the Hollywood face. Follow the Austrian-born actress as she flees Nazi Europe and establishes her place as a Hollywood siren; all the while inventing Spread Spectrum Technology that will forever change the world.

• CHALLENGER: Soaring with Christa McAuliffe – An 80-minute production paying homage to the pioneering educator and internationally recognized “Teacher in Space” whose ill-fated mission on the NASA space shuttle shocked the nation and forever established Ms. Auliffe as America’s favorite teacher.

• Historic Holidays – Historic Holidays programs are available for booking November-January, and include original productions from the company’s critically acclaimed repertoire, available both in-person and online, plus unique History At Play Soirées: festive cameo appearances and singing telegrams, performed in period attire. Professionally produced full-length programs include: "Christmas in the City with Dolley," a Yuletide visit with The “Presidentess” Dolley Madison" (Running Time: Approx. 30 Minutes), and "Victorian Gossip Girl Holiday Tea," a festive afternoon with the original Gossip Girl Annie Adams Fields (Running Time: Approx. 45 Minutes). History At Play Soirées are CAMEO events ranging from 1-3 performers, delivered Livestream or In-Person. Select from Victorian Carolers or your favorite Downton© characters!

• History At Play SOIRÉES – Book a cameo appearance or singing telegram with a historic figure of your choice! SOIRÉES are 1-on-1 video chat sessions and/or cameo appearances with women who changed society. These intimate and exclusive events offer an opportunity to speak LIVE with an historic figure, as embodied by Living Historian and HAP, LLC Founder, Judith Kalaora. SOIRÉES are 20-minute online face-to-face conversations just for you, your company gathering, or private party, conducted in authentic period wardrobe.

HAP, LLC offers interactive solo and ensemble performances, conducted both in-person (executed with strict adherence to safety mandates), as well as virtually. Each presentation features a post-program, real-time audience Q&A, which inspires discussion to connect historical legacies to contemporary values. Testimonials and references are available upon request.

Once you have selected a program(s), we are happy to provide a quote. If you would like to schedule more than one event, the entire block booking receives a 10% discount, so long as the events are booked to occur within 6 months of each other and the first event must occur no more than 6 months from the date that the contract is signed and filed.

Once we confirm the date(s), HAP, LLC shall compose a contract that can be reviewed and electronically signed via our Adobe Portal and are happy to review any necessary contract on your end. A non-refundable, non-transferable 50% deposit is requested to secure the date(s).