Bringing the Past to Life One Story at at Time.

  • Doc Susie - Colorado History Character

  • Florence Nightingale - STEM/STEAM Character

  • John Wesley Powell - Colorado History Character

  • Poker Alice - Colorado History Character

  • Zebulon Montgomery Pike - Colorado History

  • Amelia Earhart - STEM/STEAM Character

  • Cesar Chavez - Civil Rights Activist

  • Eugenie Clark - STEM/STEAM Character

  • Rattlesnake Kate - Colorado History

  • Dr. Justine Ford - Colorado History

What is Stages of History?

Stages of History – Bringing History to Life One Story at a Time. 🎭✨
With our NextGen Chautauqua program, we empower students to step into the shoes of historical figures through the art of Chautauqua—a dynamic blend of research, storytelling, and live performance. In Chautauqua, students don’t just learn history, they become it, portraying real people from the past in their own words and voices. This engaging approach builds public speaking skills, critical thinking, and confidence while inspiring a lifelong love of learning. Through workshops, mentorship, and community events, we give young performers the tools to explore history creatively and share it with audiences in an interactive way.

Whether in the classroom, on stage, or at special events, Stages of History makes the past feel vivid, personal, and relevant. Join us as we transform history from something you read in a book to something you experience, remember, and carry forward.

What we do.

At Stages of History, we bring the art of Chautauqua to life in the Grand Valley and beyond. Our program offers live, interactive performances where historical figures step out of the past and onto the stage—portrayed by skilled student and adult performers.

We partner with schools to create personalized NextGen Chautauqua programs on their campuses, providing coaching, mentoring, and curriculum that guide students through the process of researching, developing, and performing as historical characters.

We also offer community performances for local organizations in addition to our workshops and one-on-one mentorship opportunities that help participants refine their public speaking, research, and storytelling skills.

Through these experiences, we transform history from something you read about into something you can see, hear, and feel—building confidence, curiosity, and a deeper connection to our shared past.

How Can We Serve You?

  • Inspiring the Next Generation of Storytellers and Historians

    Stages of History partners with K–12 schools to bring NextGen Chautauqua Programming into ELA and History classrooms. We provide coaching, mentoring, and curriculum support so students can research, develop, and perform as historical figures. This engaging program builds confidence, public speaking skills, and a deeper connection to the past—while giving teachers a ready-to-use framework that fits seamlessly into their lessons.

  • Your event, their story—bringing history to life for your audience.

    Stages of History offers captivating Chautauqua performances featuring both talented students and seasoned adult performers. Whether you’re hosting a luncheon, community celebration, or organizational meeting, we’ll transport your audience through time with dynamic, first-person portrayals of historical figures.

  • Building Chautauqua Across Communities—One Story at a Time.

    We partner with humanities councils, fine arts groups, and educational organizations nationwide to start or strengthen Young Chautauqua programs. Through workshops, mentoring, and ready-to-use resources, we equip coaches and educators to guide performers and bring history to life in their own communities.

Work with Us.

Every big movement starts with a spark. Maybe you have a passion for bringing stories to life. Maybe you dream of inspiring the next generation of learners. Maybe you simply believe that history should be more than dates in a textbook — it should be lived, performed, and shared.

At Stages of History, we welcome educators, creators, performers, and community partners who want to make history unforgettable. Whether you’re looking to volunteer, collaborate, or explore how your talents can shape our programs, we believe your idea could become the next chapter in our story.

Events

Saturday, October 18, 2025

5:30-7:30pm

Venue
Eureka! McConnell Science Museum

Community Partners

Stages of History is grateful to partner with Colorado Humanities in bringing Chautauqua programming to the Western Slope. Together, we make history come alive by connecting communities with powerful stories and performances. This collaboration strengthens our shared mission to inspire curiosity, dialogue, and lifelong learning through the voices of the past.

Contact Us

Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!