Communications in Humanities Research
Vol. 1, 12 December 2021
Open
Access | Article
A Review of David Korins’ Set Designs
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Abstract
This article examines three of David Korins’ most successful works: Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, and Beetlejuice. By analyzing the set designs he made for these three shows, this article argues that Korins has a strong ability to find the solution to the specific design details that are linked closely to the plot, characters, and the author of the show to support the visual play and immersive environment. However, Korins’ designs sometimes can call too much attention to themselves, suggesting that the live performance is in service to the set rather than creating sets that are in service to the show. This risky characteristic becomes more and more prominent in his career.
Keywords
Hamilton, Set design, Beetlejuice, Dear Evan Hansen, David Korins, Drama
References
1. Patricia Sullivan. (2016) Designer David Korins Reveals the Inspiration, Details, and Big Ideas Behind His Set for the Broadway Production of Hamilton. The Magazine of the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
2. David Korins. (2017) How did I get here? Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved From: https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2017-how-did-i-get-here/david-korins.html
3. Sadie Dingfelder. (2018) An illustrated guide to the ‘Hamilton’ stage. The Washington Post.
4. Philip Gentry. (2017) Hamilton’s Ghosts. University of Illinois Press.
5. Elissa Harbert. (2018) Hamilton and History Musicals. University of Illinois Press.
6. Tim Teeman. (2016) Meet David Korins, the Man Who Makes ‘Hamilton’ Look So Good. Daily Beast.
7. Robert Begley. (2016) Review Essay: Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter’s Hamilton: The Revolution. New York Heroes Society.
8. Katherine Quick. (2019) Rhetorical Theory in the Age of Social Media in Dear Evan Hansen. Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research.
9. Olivia Popp. (2019) Performed live, Tony Award-winning musical ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ is a complete artistic disappointment. The Stanford Daily.
10. Emily Brammer. (2019) Scared Sheetless: Beetlejuice and the Ghost Comedy. Marshall University COLA Research and Creativity Conference.
Data Availability
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.
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