CIVIL SPIES™ at MIT Endicott House

Elizabeth Van Lew sends the most valuable information the Union receives during the war on Thursday, September 17, 2026.

CIVIL SPIES™ features History At Play™, LLC Founder and Artistic Director Judith Kalaora in an immersive solo performance as Elizabeth Van Lew, one of the most effective Union intelligence agents living in the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. Educated in the North, yet proud of her Richmond roots, Elizabeth watched as society around her crumbled during the American Civil War. While her wealthy Confederate neighbors celebrated secession, Elizabeth played the part of a loyal Confederate while she secretly undermined their efforts at every turn. This performance chronicles the legacy of a woman who sacrificed everything to engineer a spy network in the heart of the Confederacy.

History At Play™, LLC (HAP) has garnered nationwide applause for its solo and ensemble Immersive Living History Experiences, chronicling the lives of legendary trailblazers who changed society. In CIVIL SPIES™, HAP Founder & Artistic Director Judith Kalaora is Elizabeth Van Lew — an espionage agent living in Richmond. Now, we bring Elizabeth's story to you.

This performance of CIVIL SPIES™ takes place Thursdsay, September 17, 2026 at 12:00 pm ET at MIT Endicott House, 80 Haven Street, Dedham, MA. This event is sponsored by the Needham History Center & Museum. To purchase tickets for the luncheon and performance ($48), click HERE: https://needhamhistory.org/programs.../uncivil-spies/...

HAP was founded in 2010 and redefines immersive theatre as a pop culture teaching tool, exposing audiences to vastly different viewpoints. The company is internationally renowned in the history, corporate, educational, and entertainment fields for breaking the mold of traditional high-calibre touring theatre, along with virtual and hybrid events.

Founder & Artistic Director Judith Kalaora is a professional educator, award-winning playwright, and living historian. She graduated Magna cum Laude from Syracuse University and completed the Globe Education Program at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre of London, England.

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Josh Lederman, AP & NBC News Political Correspondent, attests: “History At Play™ connects the dots between the characters that made up our past and the events they shaped that still influence our lives.” Jordan Rich, of CBS WBZ Radio (Ret.), states that Judith Kalaora is “a one-woman force of nature and inhabits these women…it takes people like her to bring these stories to life…these lost pieces of history.”

Visit HistoryAtPlay.com to learn more and email info@HistoryAtPlay.com.

Questions about this event? Email BoxOffice@HistoryAtPlay.com.