The Marxist Who Brought “Hamilton” to the People

Oskar Eustis is the artistic director of The Public Theatre, where “Hamilton” had its Off-Broadway début in 2015. He first caught wind of what would become the musical when he saw a YouTube video of Lin-Manuel Miranda performing at the White House Poetry Jam, in 2009. Eustis believes the show is a perfect example of a work of art that is actually bringing about social change. Eustis spoke with David Remnick about Marxism’s influence on his work as a theatre director, and why “Hamilton” has the power to affect the immigration debate in the same way Tony Kushner’s “Angels in America” (which Eustis commissioned) changed the way many Americans thought about homosexuality.