By the end of this course, students will have a comprehensive understanding of how musical theatre began and has changed over the nearly 100 years since its inception. Students will be able to identify the four eras that the musical theatre canon can be broken into, and have a deeper understanding of how art reflects cultural events and changes within our history. 

As a professional musical theatre actor and academic myself, I believe that learning about where my art form comes from and how it has altered over the years is vital to understanding where I fit into the industry. My experience working on a wide variety of musicals from all different eras has given me hands on opportunities to see how musical theatre has changed from decade to decade, and gives me a strong understanding of how we can see key differences in both the art form and the content. Moreover, I believe that learning about history can be made entertaining when we put it in the context of a significant cultural medium, and we can see how the world has changed over the last several decades by examining what was put onstage. With this mission in mind, and my interest in using discussion and video examples to approach a class that would typically be offered as lecture only, I am eager to tackle this subject with students in a unique setting. 

Homework Offered
Following a week of lecture/discussion, there will be a week dedicated to presentations. Students will be asked to create at least one presentation (if there are fewer than eight students in the class, students will have the opportunity - but will NOT be required - to present more than once) on a musical from the previous week's era. For example, during week 2 we will discuss the Golden Age. The following week, two students will be asked to create a presentation on a musical from that era. Students will be asked to summarize the musical, give background information including when it was produced, where it was first produced, who wrote it, and more, and explain how it exemplifies themes from this era. They will also be asked to provide visual aids (production photos, videos, etc.). Other students will also have the opportunity to ask questions, and the presenting student will be asked to answer them to the best of their ability/knowledge (but Miss Lauryn always has their back!). They may create this presentation via powerpoint, canva, iMovie, or any other digital platform, as well as drawing/writing their own materials and holding them up to their video screen. Students will be notified two weeks in advance of their presentation so they may complete it in a timely manner. Questions are always welcome! 
Assessments Offered
Grades Offered