Have you seen other students’ performance pieces from the Hamilton Education Program and wondered, “How do I do that?” In this class, we will look at primary source documents on the Hamilton Education Program website and find their dramatic potential. We will focus on the Founding Era’s untold stories and people who lived in the world of Hamilton.
Each class we will be joined by a guest from the musical Hamilton. Both cast and creative team members will provide insight into how they find their own story in the text. Not only will students learn the historiography of documents from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, they will also learn how to turn primary sources into compelling performance pieces.
Intended Audience
This course is for middle and high school students (grades 6–12). We encourage those who participate to have their teacher or family sign up for Hamilton Education Program Online to access the documents and curriculum discussed.
CLasses
This course was held over two semesters for a total of 16 classes. Each class is a stand-alone lesson.
Fall 2020
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Class 1 |
CLASS RECORDING from Saturday, October 3, 2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. ET Special Guest: Darnell Abraham (George Washington, North American Tour) |
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Class 2 |
CLASS RECORDING from Saturday, October 10, 2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. ET Special Guest: Miguel Cervantes (Alexander Hamilton, Broadway) |
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Class 3 |
CLASS RECORDING from Saturday, October 17, 2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. ET Special Guest: Patrick Vassel (Associate and Supervising Director, Broadway) |
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Class 4 |
CLASS RECORDING from Saturday, October 24, 2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. ET Special Guest: Lily Ling (Music Director, North American Tour) |
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Class 5 |
CLASS RECORDING from Saturday, October 31, 2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. ET Special Guest: Daniel Yearwood (Laurens/Philip, Broadway) and Warren Egypt Franklin (Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson, North American Tour) |
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Class 6 |
CLASS RECORDING from Saturday, November 7, 2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. ET Special Guest: Jennifer Geller (The Bullet, North American Tour) |
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Class 7 |
CLASS RECORDING from Saturday, November 14, 2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. ET Special Guest: Stephanie Klemons (Associate Choreographer, Broadway) |
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Class 8 |
CLASS RECORDING from Saturday, November 21, 2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. ET Special Guest: Morgan Wood (Ensemble, North American Tour) |
Spring 2021
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Class 1 |
Recording from Saturday, March 13, 2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. ET Special Guest: Cherry Torres (Ensemble, North American Tour) discussing Margarita "Peggy" Schuyler |
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Class 2 |
Recording from Saturday, March 20, 2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. ET Special Guest: Antuan Raimone (Universal Swing, Broadway) discussing Belinda, an enslaved woman from Massachusetts |
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Class 3 |
Recording from Saturday, April 10, 2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. ET Special Guest: Hannah Ryan (Resident Director, Broadway) discussing Abigail Adams |
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Class 4 |
Recording from Saturday, April 17, 2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. ET Special Guest: Nik Walker (Aaron Burr, North American Tour) discussing Aaron Burr |
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Class 5 |
Recording from Saturday, April 24, 2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. ET Special Guest: Victoria Scovens (Eliza Hamilton, North American Tour) discussing Alexander Hamilton |
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Class 6 |
Recording from Saturday, May 1, 2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. ET Special Guest: Euan Morton (King George III, Broadway) discussing King George III |
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Class 7 |
Recording from Saturday, May 8, 2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. ET Special Guest: Roberto Sinha (Music Director, North American Tour) discussing Benjamin Franklin |
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Class 8 |
Recording from Saturday, May 15, 2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. ET Special Guest: Marc delaCruz (Ensemble, Broadway) discussing Paul Cuffe |
Meet Your Teacher
Gena Oppenheim is a theater and film studies teacher from New York City. A graduate of Barnard College and NYU Tisch School of the Arts, she just started her ninth year teaching at Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn. She is thrilled to continue her work as the Senior Education Fellow for the Hamilton Education Program at the Gilder Lehrman Institute.
Participation Certificate
Students who get 100% on the attendance quiz can get a certificate from the Gilder Lehrman Institute confirming their attendance in each History School session.
Please email historyschool@gilderlehrman.org with any questions about the course.
Video Playlist