Hamilton Backstage: Learning About Theatrical Design
A backstage look at Hamilton: An American Musical, focusing on set design, costume design, choreography & lighting.
Emily Lafferty
Average rating:
4.8
Number of reviews:(467)
What's included
4 pre-recorded lessons
4 weeks
of teacher support1 year access
to the contentClass Experience
This flexible schedule class is a in-depth look at the theatrical design components that make Hamilton: An American Musical, so special. All videos and learning materials will be posted in the classroom at noon pacific on Mondays. A weekly 15 minute video will be posted of me teaching the class about a certain component of theatrical design, guided discussion to continue in the classroom comments and viewing slides. Weekly suggested interviews and videos will also be posted to the classroom. Questions and activities associated with each design element will be posted in the classroom to invite discussion. Students will be invited to share their own questions, comments and designs each week. During this non-live class I will be interacting with learner's asynchronously. I will respond to all questions, comments and photos of work within 24 hours of learners posting.
Syllabus
4 Lessons
over 4 WeeksLesson 1:
Introduction to Hamilton
The history and creation of the musical. Who wrote it and why. What lead to it's creation and how did it end up one of the most popular shows on broadway! 14 mins of video lessons
Lesson 2:
Set Design
A discussion of David Korins, the designer . A look at his techniques and research that inspired his designs.
Weekly project: Design your own set for Hamilton using the teacher's guide and templates! Share a photo of your work in the comments section. 12 mins of video lessons
Lesson 3:
Costume Design
Background and a look at the techniques used by designer Paul Tazewell who created the costumes for this show. Did you know that at first it was unsure if this show would be done in historical costume or modern clothing? We will discuss more this week!
Weekly Project: Design your own costume for 1 or 2 characters in the show using the teacher's provided template. Share a photo of your work in the comments section. 11 mins of video lessons
Lesson 4:
Lighting Design & Choreography
We will look at the lighting design by Howell Binkley and discuss why lighting is so important to this show. We will also learn about the work of Choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler and discuss why dance plays an important role in the storytelling of this musical.
Weekly Project: Learn a dance from the show using posted videos! If you want, try your hand at being a choreographer and make up some of your own choreography to share in class. 16 mins of video lessons
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Hamilton: An American Musical contains some mature content. While these themes will not be directly discussed in class any student taking the class should be aware of this especially if they want to listen to the soundtrack to aid their study.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined August, 2023
4.8
467reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Hi There!
I am a passionate theatre educator, currently working as a theatre director, stage manager and online instructor here on Outschool!
I have my Bachelors degree in Theatre and my Masters degree in Drama Education.
I have worked in a variety of amazing and interesting jobs including touring as the assistant stage manager with a theatre company across Switzerland! For 3 years I was the Theatre Department director of a high school, teaching all the theatre courses and directing the plays, musicals and summer camp shows. I also have spent time working for children's theatre companies as an outreach director for underserved schools. For the past few years though I have found a love for teaching about the wonderful world of theatre, online. I love working with young people in theatre and helping them find their creative voice.
My courses range from fun deep dives into favorite musicals, to readers theatre clubs.
All of my classes are inclusive, fun and have a "we are all family" feel. Everyone is welcome, everyone's thoughts matter, and I invite each learner to bring their passions and authentic selves to my online classroom. My goal is to always create a space of belonging for everyone who enrolls.
Policies*
Late arrival/missed classes/recordings:
Classes with 2+ students enrolled:
Once at least one student has arrived in the classroom I will begin class. In the event that no students enter the classroom I will wait 10 minutes before closing the classroom. Please let me know if you are running late so I know to wait longer for you! If a student misses a class that ran with multiple students you can always reach out to request the video recording. Please request this via message to me. The "request recording" button does not actually go to the teachers, so I won't know you requested it.
Please note if you miss 3 ongoing classes in a row, Outschool automatically withdraws you from the class.
Classes with 1 student:
For one-time classes (such as my "working in theatre" or "Musical Theatre Hits" courses) I will sometimes run a class even with just 1 student. For these classes I will wait 10 minutes and then will close the classroom if the student does not arrive. No class will be recorded. Please let me know if you are running late so I know to wait longer if needed! If you miss a class that had only your student enrolled I cannot accommodate transfers.Reviews
Self-Paced Class
$5
weekly or $20 for all content4 pre-recorded lessons
4 weeks of teacher support
Choose your start date
1 year of access to the content
Completed by 79 learners
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Ages: 9-14
