Our greatest strength is our ability to listen.

It starts from how we collaborate with one another—we are both improvisers, and utilize that when writing and rehearsing our shows. To involve improvisation in our process, egalitarian collaboration is key, and we encouraged our actors to listen carefully and find the truth in their reactions. From there, we filter through the new discoveries and new opportunities, updating scenes, writing new songs, and trimming away unnecessary moments. By listening to collaborators who improvise with our work, the culture of the show changes; it’s not Ethan and Dave’s show, but a full team effort.

We listen to musicals—the classics, the new ones, the shows on the corners of YouTube, and even the first ever musical/opera (written by Saint Hildegard von Bingen). Any rehearsal room or reading of our shows includes discussions about effective opening numbers in different shows, genre bending, pacing, etc. This isn’t groundbreaking, but when we create, structure reigns supreme. The most successful musicals utilize structure brilliantly, regardless of genre or topic. Story and song structure allows complicated ideas to come across clearly, thus not excluding anyone from the point of view. Our story topics aren’t exactly “textbook Broadway,” between Jewish circumcisions, cults, and 12th Century nuns. But our goal is to filter down all the research and all the perspectives into a simple story and songs with clear points of view. Dave is a music teacher, and he often talks about how our stories aren’t for academics, but to evoke a response from a wide range of people—from his students in Chicago to someone who only loves Guys and Dolls. Different audiences may not agree with our point of view, but because we’re dedicated to simplifying structure, they will know what we’re trying to say.

Most importantly, we listen to people. Our current project tells the story of Hildegard of Bingen, the first ever composer of an opera. Her experience is not our own. As we develop this show, we continue to bring as many people of different races, genders, sexualities, and faiths, as we tell a story that is probably foreign to most: the life of a nun who receives visions from God and goes on to compose the first opera in western history. This summer, we were given the opportunity for a 10 day residency at Princeton University to continue developing the show (after our initial performance at the Chicago Fringe Festival). In that room, we discussed Hildegard’s role as a woman in the 12th century and how it relates to feminism today, the importance of the Catholic church to some and it’s repression of others, the role of anti-Semitism and islamaphobia in the 12th century and how Hildegard was not a perfect example of inclusivity while needing to reckon with the politics of today. All said: Not easy stuff to talk about. But because of the diversity of collaborators in the room, people with strong opinions on gender, faith, queerness, and race steered the ship, informing us where the show had shortcomings, and unselfishly suggesting where we can educate ourselves and improve our story. Once again, we are the filter, collecting different perspectives, experiences, and research, and present it in a clear, structurally sound story.

We know our position in this world. We’ve read the books in school from men exactly like us. We’ve seen the movies, viewed the art, etc. And right now, the best way to create is to listen. We want to bring in as many voices as possible to help tell clear, structurally sound stories. This is the best way to push the musical art form we love forward, and we will keep working on our craft by doing what we do best: listening.

We’re looking for stories that aren’t being told and people who can tell them for us.