The Past Is Always Present Educational Theater Project

The Past Is Always Present

 

For Classrooms & the Stage!


We're bringing to life powerful, untold stories that have been erased from our U.S. history education — to inspire, educate, and entertain!

 

Case Studies


Thomas(ine) Hall

 

Baron von Steuben

 

William Dorsey Swann

 

Gladys Bentley

 

Dr. Margaret Chung

 

Charley Parkhurst

 

New, Original Musical!


YOUR HANDS ARE THE ROAD: A Ride Upon the Stage through Queer American History

Book and Lyrics by Jeffrey Solomon with Original Music by Raliegh Neal

Follow Phoenix, a teenager navigating a tumultuous time, who stumbles upon the original AI, Ancestor Intelligence, and takes a wild ride whipping through the past alongside Charley Parkhurst, a legendary stagecoach driver from the Gold Rush.

This new work illuminates history as alive, inspiring, and urgent. 

Premier Staged Reading in Lowell, Massachusetts, May 2026. LEARN MORE

 

The case studies are intended to demonstrate the breadth of United States LGBTQ history and are targeted for secondary and post-secondary contexts. The Charley Parkhurst content is targeted for the elementary level.

 


BACKGROUND

History UnErased, Inc. and Houses on the Moon Theater Company teamed up to develop The Past Is Always Present Educational Theater Project, a multi-year initiative launched with funding from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Program. This project is designed as both an artistic experience and an educational tool.* High school students from across the country have been involved in the creative development process of the musical, putting their fingerprints on every aspect of this new work, ensuring the historical figures and questions about the past resonate with youth in today's world.

 

Thank you for completing this quick congressional district form for reporting to the Library of Congress* about which regions of the country are engaging with "The Past Is Always Present" content. 

 

*This educational theater project is made possible in part by funding from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) program. Content created and featured in partnership with the TPS program does not indicate an endorsement by the Library of Congress.