CONNECT WITH US !

  Videos

Facebook

About Us

Mission Statement

"History Alive Lanesboro uses storytelling and the performing arts to deepen the understanding of past ideas, events, and people, as seen through the lens of our small Minnesota town and region.” 

Who Are We?

A non-profit, 501.c.3 educational and performance group based in historic Lanesboro, Minnesota that creates history-based arts programming with small town themes. We offer touring plays, pop-up plays, town tours, and the occasional lecture. We thank individual  donors, SE MN Arts Council, Lanesboro Community Foundation for past funding. 

Audience watches History Alive! Pop-up Play scene in first show, 2015.

1930's Civilian Conservation Corps boys at the ready.

Our Touring and Pop-Up Plays

Our plays open a window into small-town life in America in various eras and various Lanesboro locations. The collection of plays, now on YouTube, reflect the life, characters, events, and issues of small Midwestern towns between 1869 and WWII and more eras may be coming. Effort is made to include women and minorities cultures. 

Playwright, Director, Founder Jane Peck, writes our  well-researched music and dance-filled plays that travel throughout Lanesboro’s historic streets and buildings and memories.  Research for our plays come from archives at Lanesboro History Museum, MN Historical Society, Fillmore County Historical Society, oral interviews, other  sources.

Prior to Lanesboro, Jane created history performances  for over twenty years with her company Dance Revels Moving History and  school groups throughout the Twin Cities.

Our Beginning

The first History Alive! Pop-up Play was created in 2015 by Jane as a personal artistic project. The result was a successful new, active and local history theater form and the rest is history! Community members wanted to do more Pop-up Plays, so our non-profit was formed in December 2016 to safely allow grants and donations. We are grateful to Southeast Minnesota Arts Council for many years of grant funding and to all of our donors. Six Pop-up Plays have followed: a new one each year. In addition, we have toured scenes from the Pop-up Plays all across Minnesota to new audiences. We are grateful to all members of our board of directors over the years!


“Year after year we learn more and appreciate the stories of our community. I love watching the people I know portray people I once knew!” 

-Lanesboro Resident

“I drove 100 miles to see it and wasn’t disappointed! I didn’t realize what a rich heritage this area has.  The plays were brilliant and very well developed.”

  -Audience Member

Our Community Impact

Audiences come to our Lanesboro Pop-up Plays from all over Minnesota and its five neighboring states. Each new play requires many oral interviews of area family members about past events. The families are proud to see their stories and history appreciated on stage, and audiences learn about small town life by watching. We have toured several of these plays in our region and continue to offer that.

With 35 performers, 25 back stage helpers and staff, and nearly 400 annual audience members, History Alive Pop-up Plays have a big reach! Our performers range from novice to professional and age 6 through 76. Our touring plays have smaller casts, of course.

At the end of 2022 we held a feedback session with Lanesboro residents both in person and in writing. Our goal was to assess how to make changes we planned for 2023.  We so appreciate everyone’s input including their wish to “keep doing more plays!” Our 2024 tour of Time for Women does just that!

Our Board

In May 2023 a wonderful new board of directors of professional women was elected who support Director Peck and History Alive’s mission!  All business on hold from our hiatus was quickly addressed by the new directors.

Our 2024 Board Members:



Left to Right Board Members:  Danielle Enblom, Christine DeVries, Director Jane Peck, Barb Jeffers, Beth Hennessy, Martha Griesheimer. 



Board Member Rachel Storlie