“Are you ready for a cabinet meeting?” The cabinet “battles” between Alexander Hamilton (Eben Kuhns) and Thomas Jefferson (Steve Edenbo) will entertain and educate your audiences with nuanced, accessible arguments on timeless themes relevant to modern America.
Jefferson v. Hamilton: Conflict and Constitution
A meeting and debate between the two most controversial founding fathers, Jefferson and Hamilton, in which discussions center on the topics most relevant to their day and to ours: state versus national authority in government, the framing of the Constitution and its interpretation, the establishment of the First National Bank and its constitutionality, and the people’s voice in government.
Jefferson’s and Hamilton’s clashing viewpoints on issues like the success or failure of the Articles of Confederation and the proper foundations of a new government foreshadow the establishment of our two-party system. Eben Kuhns (Alexander Hamilton) and Steve Edenbo (Thomas Jefferson) engage in a lively debate that exposes and explains the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and illuminates the impetus behind the move toward a Constitutional Convention and the resultant drafting of the United States Constitution. The program examines the need for balance between state’s rights and a centralized government while giving audiences a taste of what the negotiations might have been like in the room where it happened. Through their performance your audience will to see how the relationships between key figures, and the need for compromise, between two opposing factions resulted in the development of the imperfect but ever evolving government we have today.
Program available for Middle School, High School, Colleges and Universities, Teacher Workshops, Legal Seminars, Judges Retreats, and more.
Thomas Jefferson portrayed by Steven Edenbo
Alexander Hamilton portrayed by Eben Kuhns
Students from middle school through college enjoy the Hamilton - Jefferson cabinet meetings, or as the Broadway Musical Hamilton refers to them, “cabinet battles.”
Your audience will thrive on the mixture of humor and history in the witty repartee between Hamilton and Jefferson!
Alexander Hamilton (Eben Kuhns) and Thomas Jefferson (Steve Edenbo) debate Constitutional issues that have dominated our national conversation since the founding era.
“Steven and Eben were incredible. I had a family of triplets approach me this morning and tell me how amazing it was to hear how each class was different. 7th graders I did not even know were asking me if they would be able to see Hamilton and Jefferson next year? Steven and Eben were so informed, cohesive, and professional. Their flexibility put me at ease, and their energy was so worth it. Knowing that they had just come from California the day before, it was inspiring to witness them hold on to their character throughout the day. To truly own such important figures in our history, their devotion and preparation was so noticeable and patriotic to witness.”
—Matt Wise, 8th Grade Social Studies Teacher, Great Valley Middle School