Video: Sisters Perform Award-Winning Reenactment

Montville Township High School seniors Alli and Alexandra Hartley presented their award-winning historical presentation on Chicago's Hull House at the Township Historical Society meeting on Monday.

The sisters performed a reenactment entitled "Hull House: Innovation in Social Justice," which they preformed as part of New Jersey History Day, qualifying them for the state's national competition.

According to Alli Hartley, the project, which was the first that the sisters have collaborated on together, came about due to some confusion between Hull House founder Jane Addams and wife of the second president, Abigail Adams.

"I was doing a project on Abigail Adams and people kept asking me about Jane Addams and I didn't really know who she was," she said. "I'm interested in women through, especially at Hull House, giving opportunities to women outside of domestic life."

The sisters explained that their reenactment was the end product of extensive research from primary sources.

"National History Day requires an annotated bibliography…and a processed paper," Alexandra said. "You can't just show up and perform, sadly."

Alexandra described that working with her sister provided an interesting dynamic.

"We might work together again," she said. "It's still in consideration."