Xerxes Atlas Blog

I've mentioned before that the script for Xerxes' Atlas is a cooperative effort between myself and Justin Eade.  I think it's a very fitting arrangement for this project, which is all about collaboration.  It does present some challenges, but that's part of what makes it fun and exciting.

Writers are used to working alone -- it's a solitary occupation most of the time.  Some people love that aspect of writing, but for someone who like me, that's the most frustrating part of the job.  I really like engaging with other people, so the process of sending material back and forth with another writer is something I really enjoy.  I can't speak for Justin here, but I have found that discussing the material has helped focus and shape my writing, and I think we're both producing better work as a result of the feedback we've been able to give to each other.

Justin and I bring different strengths and sensibilities to the table.  One thing we've spent a lot of time talking about is the style and voice that the play will be written in.  Justin's writing is more sparse and straightforward, while my writing tends to be a bit more ornate and decorative.  As we've been working together on a particular pivotal scene in the play, I think we've also been developing a style that incorporates both of those things and is tight and clean, but not without a bit of flourish.  We'll see how it pans out!

Of course, no two people are ever going to agree on everything, and we've had our disagreements about how certain elements should work.  But so far I think we've both been good at putting what's best for the project ahead of everything else, and I think that will really pay off with the finished project.

More to come!

There's no way around it -- making a musical is a collaborative effort.  Even if there's just one actress on stage performing material she wrote by herself, someone has to be running lights and sound and making sure things are running smoothly.  But let's pretend that technical stuff isn't an issue; for example, let's say the musical is just being performed in the actress' own backyard with no technical crew.  Even then, she can't do it alone -- she needs an audience.

One of the interesting things about live theatre is that there's a sort of hidden collaboration between the people putting on the production and the people who are watching it.  Anyone who's been on stage will tell you that the way an audience reacts has a direct impact on how things progress on the stage, regardless of how scripted they are.

Xerxes' Atlas aims to really expand this collaboration by calling on the general public to not just show up for the performances, but for the initial creative process as well.  Rather than having a composer and a lyricist write songs and then walk away, with Xerxes' Atlas, people from all over the world are encouraged to shape the musical both before and after the opening night.

Of course, collaboration only works if there's some structure behind it.  Part of that structure will be provided by the script, which Justin Eade and I are writing.  But even though there's only two of us working on it, it's still a collaboration!  Next time I'll talk about some of the challenges and benefits we've found which come from co-writing a project like this.

Hi everyone!  I'm Aaron Humphrey, and my awesome co-writer Justin Eade and I are going to be writing the script for XERXES' ATLAS.  I feel very fortunate to have been chosen to work on such an exciting project with along with a group of really passionate, talented people.  I'll be blogging here over the coming weeks to update you all on the progress we're making with the script.

Justin and I spent the first part of 2011 hashing out a detailed outline which will inform the rest of our work on the script.  Now we've moved on to trying to nail down the appropriate tone and language for the dialogue, which is a very different discipline than writing an outline as it's a lot less analytical and involves more trial and error to get the right "feel."

I think so far we have both enjoyed working together and having another writer to bounce things off of.  Justin is a very accomplished, knowledgeable writer, and I'm lucky to have him as a writing partner.  And the fact that I live in Australia and he's in New Zealand means that an International Team of Writers is collaborating on the script, which sounds pretty cool.

I'll have more updates soon, but in the meantime you can check out the blog I kept while I was working on my proposal to write the script for Xerxes' Atlas for a look behind the scenes of my creative process.