[NoHo Arts District, CA] – Is It History or Is It His-Story? written and performed by Kirsten Laurel Caplan, directed and developed by Jessica Lynn Johnson, presented by Living Up to Your Laurels and by Soaring Solo Studios LLC takes the stage at Whitefire Theatre’s Solofest on Sunday, February 19.

Show Description:

Kirsten has been tasked to find heroes in American History for her drama class. She finds herself on a game show called Opposing Viewpoints, where pundits from across the ideological spectrum get to decide which historical figures get to be included in the Almighty 7th Grade History Book. The audience gets to cast votes, too. Among the figures under consideration: Mercy Otis Warren, a playwright during the American Revolution; Phillis Wheatley, sold into servitude by the chief of her West African tribe, who later purchased her freedom with the earnings from her volume of poetry; Sarah Josepha Hale, magazine editor and originator of the Thanksgiving holiday as we know it today, while glossing over its darker origins.

Will these women be included in our history, or are they history?

The Team:

Kirsten Laurel Caplan is the playwright and performer, portraying all the characters. Kirsten Laurel Caplan is an actor, writer, director and educator. She’s been a Department Chair of Performing Arts for Music, Dance and Theatre. She’s directed 20 middle school productions. She’s been a middle school Diversity and Inclusion coordinator (prompting her son to call her “The Includinator”), She has also been an adjunct professor at Mt. St. Mary’s University. Kirsten created two previous solo shows, Lady LiberTease and Whose Dream Is This Anyway? The Studio City native studied classical theatre at Scripps College and earned her MFA from Towson University. Currently, Kirsten is a volunteer facilitator of AWARE-LA (Alliance of White Anti-Racists Everywhere), a guest educator for schools, and adjunct professor at Mt. St. Mary’s University.

Jessica Lynn Johnson directs Is It History or Is It His-Story?. Acclaimed both as a solo performer and as a director of solo artists, she is the founder of the company Soaring Solo Studios and a recipient of the Best National Solo Artist Award. Her directing credits include Unemployed Finally, The Mermaid Who Learned How to Fly, 365 Days of Crazy, Triangles Are My Favorite Shape, Bully-mia, Not My Show, Answers Outta The Blue, Dear Yoko, and more.

Is It History or Is It His-Story? is funny without being preachy. You may learn a lot about American history that you didn’t know before, and you’ll certainly have some laughs. Enjoy.

Is It History Or Is It His- Story? has been selected with the honor to participate in the LAWTF this upcoming March 2023 in Culver City. The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival will be celebrating its 30th Anniversary of presenting the Diversity of Women’s voices in theatre for 3 decades. https://lawtf.org

Performance History

Premiered at Hollywood Fringe Festival at the Zephyr Theatre, June 2023
Encore Performance at the Hudson Theatre, Soaring Solo Stars Series, October 2022
Public Performance at Mount Saint Mary’s University, Tuesday, January 31 at 3:30pm

The Hollywood Times Review by Jim Gilles, June 12, 2022

Satirizing U.S. History Textbooks In the Midst of Today’s Culture Wars

Article from the New York Times that is relevant to school teachers and the culture wars

NY Times Article from 2020 and its debate
2 States. 8 Textbooks. Two Americas
American history textbooks can differ across the country, in ways that are shaded by partisan politics. By Dana Goldstein ** January 12, 2020

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/01/12/us/texas-vs-california-history-textbooks.html