Live Theatre

(includes NYC DOE Theater Blueprint Standards)

This module looks at HADESTOWN through the lens of theater-making. It is designed to familiarize learners with how productions like HADESTOWN go from an idea to a full-scale, Broadway production. It includes links to interviews with the cast and creative team of HADESTOWN, and media that offers learners an opportunity to learn about the unique jobs required to make stories come alive onstage. 

The corresponding lesson plan asks students to take a closer look at the choices made by the HADESTOWN creative team before bringing their own ideas to life through writing, directing, designing and acting out their own stories.

A show like Hadestown only takes a few hours to watch, but one performance represents only a fraction of the work it took to make. Productions like Hadestown are massive undertakings. Not only do they require funding for big budgets, but they also require the collaboration of hundreds of artists including writers, directors, designers, technicians, an entire orchestra and a whole cast of performers, a team of producers…

Hadestown took 13 years to make and it started with a fragment of a poem. If you have a fragment of a poem inside of you, we hope the resources in this module will help you bring it alive!

A Fragment of a Song…

The process of making live theatre

Anais Mitchell has said the Hadestown developed from a fragment of a song that came into her head on a road-trip. Almost fifteen years later, that fragment of a song has become a Tony award-winning musical, which features the work of literally hundreds of artists. 


How does a fragment of a song turn into a Broadway musical? See below for a general overview of how theatre is made but remember, there are unlimited ways to make a piece of art. Your process might involve different steps or have a different order. This is just one example of how an idea for a song grew into a fully-realized production like Hadestown.

It is rare for a show like Hadestown to go directly to Broadway. This is because they cost a lot of money to make! Only a handful of plays are selected by producers each year. Before “moving to Broadway,” plays like Hadestown will often be produced at smaller theatres, where the production can be developed and funds can be raised. You can read details about the particular journey of Hadestown HERE.

  • The Story and the Script

    Almost all theatre begins with someone who has an idea for a story. And the playwright is the person who writes that story down. This is the script. It includes things like a list and descriptions for each character in the play, the lines of dialogue that characters will speak, stage directions that might describe what the characters are doing or what the stage should look like…

  • Finding Collaborators

    Once a writer is ready to share their script, they will need collaborators to help them develop it. In the case of Hadestown, Anais Mitchell was a folk singer/songwriter. She developed a concept album, with fellow singers performing the various roles. This concept album attracted collaborators like Rachel Chavkin and the New York Theatre workshop who collaborated with Mitchell on things like readings and workshops.

  • Readings and Workshops

    Unlike novels, scripts are meant to be spoken aloud by actors. Without hearing the play, it can be difficult to know whether the dialogue is clear, whether the dialogue will be funny or harsh in the right places. Because of this, most scripts go through a development phase where actors, directors, and dramaturgs work with the playwright in a very short rehearsal process. Often, these processes end with a public reading, but not always! Typically, a playwright will rewrite sections of the script after this process but workshops are also a good opportunity to share new plays with producers, who can help raise funding for a full production.

  • Production

    Once a theatre commits to producing a play, a cast and creative team is hired. Typically, a director will lead the process of assembling a team of actors and designers…

  • Design and Casting

    Before rehearsals can begin (more on that soon!) the design team will need to decide what the play is going to look like. Where is the play located and when does it take place? What items need to be onstage to communicate the outdoors and what kinds of outfits should the characters be wearing? Designers work with a director on these plans, while actors are busy preparing their auditions. Based on the story and the character descriptions, a director will do their best to cast the best combination of actors who audition for the play. Once the designs are finished and the play is cast, the rehearsal and build processes can begin!

  • Rehearsals and Build

    Rehearsal refers to the period before an audience is invited to the show. During this time, actors practice their scenes with one another and directors give notes to help make the story clear and effective. Lines are memorized during this time, while designers and technicians build sets and costumes, hang lights, and assemble props, or properties. Props include any object that actors use onstage.

    For a Broadway production like Hadestown, it might take months or even years to rehearse and build a production! But for most plays, this happens anywhere between two and eight weeks.

  • Tech

    Tech refers to the stage of the process when rehearsals are nearly finished and it’s time to prepare for an audience. During this time, everyone comes together and rehearses the play inside of the theatre. Everything moves much slower as directors work with designers to ensure the lights, sounds, costumes, and scenery are exactly right. Actors learn how to change their costumes quickly, and they have an opportunity to work directly with their props. During this time, it is important to have runs, which just means practicing the play all the way through, without stopping. Sometimes a mistake happens, during a run. This is a good time for designers to catch problems, and for actors practice covering up mistakes to keep the play going.

  • Previews

    Previews are always part of the process for production on Broadway. They’re an opportunity to see how audiences respond before reviewers are invited. But plenty of plays move straight from tech into opening night! During previews, select audiences are invited to see the show. This is an opportunity for directors, actors, and designers to make adjustments based on the response of the audience. After previews, designers, technicians, actors and directors go back to rehearse and refine their work. During this time, a playwright might even rewrite a scene or add a song!

  • Opening Night

    Opening night is the first official performance of a show. It marks the completion of this production and actors will now enjoy a run of the show. Unlike a run in rehearsals, runs in performances refer to how long the show is performed. A Broadway musical might run for many years! Many plays run for a few weeks. And some plays run for only one night. After the Opening Night show, the cast and creative team will often attend a party to celebrate their work and the telling of a good story.

Writers

A writer what story is told, and what words will be used to tell it. Plays, musicals, movie and television shows may be written by one person or an entire team of writers. Writers are responsible for making sure the story is both clear and interesting for their audience. 

Writers for theatre, or playwrights, typically write their plays alone. In the case of musicals, which are stories told through and driven by song, a playwright may collaborate with a composer who writes the music.  

Meet the Hadestown Composer and Playwright: Anais Mitchell

While many musicals are written by teams of writers, Mitchell wrote the script, lyrics and music for Hadestown. This is a huge undertaking that required many drafts of the script for each stage of production.

Read about ANAÏS MITCHELL and her road to HADESTOWN live onstage

Take a DEEP DIVE into Theatre WRITING

Directors

A director serves as the team leader for a creative process. They make decisions that guide the work of designers and performers, and are responsible for communicating how a production should look and feel. Directors approve final designs and cast the actors; they work with both the creative team and theatre management to make sure the show will be ready in time for opening night. Directors set the schedule for each day of rehearsal and when challenges arise, they are expected to lead the creative problem-solving and make executive decisions. Ultimately, a director is responsible for making sure a production looks good and runs smoothly.

Meet the Hadestown Music Director/Choreographer: 

While the director is typically the key leader on any production, there are many leaders in a production process. For example, the music director makes key decisions about how the music is sung and rehearsed, just as the choreographer designs and teaches the dance sequences and movements.

Watch Q & A with HADESTOWN Choreographer David Neumann

Take a DEEP DIVE into Theatre DIRECTING

Designers and Technicians

Designers and Technicians represent an incredibly important piece of the creative process. The magic you watch onstage is made possible by dozens of people backstage who are responsible for moving set pieces, “calling cues,” and helping the actors change costume. 

Members of the design team work with the director to make decisions about how a show should look, sound, and ‘feel.’ Designers create renderings, which are drawings or instructions for how to build the sets and costumes, but it is technicians that are responsible for turning the ideas of a designer into reality. Technicians are also an important part of backstage process: there is a whole team of people who ensure that the show runs smoothly each night. 

Meet the Stage Management Team: 

Have you ever noticed the way lights onstage change at exactly the right moment in every song? Or wondered how the actors know when to come onstage? There is one person responsible for making sure that everything backstage, or behind-the-scenes area, flows smoothly and that all the elements come together in exactly the right way. That person is the stage manager. During a performance, the stage manager “calls” the show. Calling a Show means telling technicians like sound and light board operators when to move to the next cue, or moment of lighting/sound in the production. Watch this clip of Tyler Mount, backstage at Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, where he will take you through some of the things a stage manager does backstage. Fun fact? Rachel Chavkin, the director of Hadestown, also directed Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812

Read about HADESTOWN costumes with Designer Michael Krass

Take a DEEP DIVE into Theatre DESIGN

Performers

The most visible contributions to a production are usually made by the performers. They are the artists responsible for bringing the words and story alive onstage. Performers train extensively to learning how to control their voices and their movement for plays that are performed outdoors and musicals that are performed inside huge theatres. They may audition, usually by performing a scene, monologue or song for the director. An actor will audition for many productions before being cast in a role. 

Meet a Swing/Understudy: 

Actors on tour will typically perform eight times every week for months or even years! What happens when an actor loses their voice, injures themselves, or needs to attend a wedding? This is where swings and understudies come in! Understudies are often hired to learn both lead and ensemble tracks. The word “track” refers to everything an actor does in the course of show. This includes the lines they speak and their staging (movements and traffic patterns made by the performers), as well as the choreography and music. Sometimes an understudy knows they will be “going on” several weeks in advance, but they often only have a few hours to prepare. An understudy must always be ready.

Meet T. Oliver Reid, HADESTOWN Understudy and Dance Captain

Take a DEEPER DIVE into Performing

How it all comes TOGETHER…!

Now that you know about the various roles, you’ll find a series of short videos below. They all feature a behind the scenes look at the work of the Hadestown team, including the playwright, director, actors, designers and technicians who worked on the production. You can pick and choose the videos from above or below that best suit your learners or approach to the lesson plan but we do suggest choosing a few to watch together or assign as homework.