As “The Past in Person” (PIP), Michael Deren is an accomplished musician, songwriter, and storyteller. The PIP presentations are historical, musical, educational, participative programs presented as one of seven characters from the 19th or 20th centuries. Characters include an 1870 shanty boy/lumberjack; 1840 Erie Canal boat captain; 1880 Northern Michigan iron worker; 1875 Great Lakes schooner captain; 1865 Civil War musician; 1870 railroad engineer; and a 1941 CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) enrollee. Participants develop their own character and engage in singing, dancing, and participative activities to portray the situation.