I’m really excited to share this post with you today! It’s the first of its kind, with more to come over time, spotlighting the work and personalities of individuals in the performing arts with whom I’ve had the privilege of working (photographing).

I had the opportunity to do photos for Wes and Rachel at the end of October 2018 at the black box theatre of their alma mater, NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where they spent countless hours collaborating in grad school. I asked them some questions about themselves and the work they’re currently doing on a new and very timely musical. Keep an eye out for the musical in the future. It is well worth our attention.

Who are you and where can people find and follow you and your work?
We are Rachel Dean and Wes Braver, the writers of the musical, Medusa. Our website is under construction, but you can find us at www.musicalmedusa.com and sign up for our newsletter!

How did you get into composing and when did you know it was what you were going to study/pursue as a career?
RD: I started writing songs when I was eleven. They didn’t rhyme and were mostly about cats. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study in college or pursue thereafter, but I knew it had something to do with music and writing, so I majored in composition. Musical theatre wasn’t a love-at-first-sight for me like it was for many others, but the more time I spent involved in the community and doing productions as a pianist/music director, the more I realized this was how I wanted to spend my time and energy.

Who/what influenced you musically growing up?
RD: I grew up in a pretty conservative Christian home and attended a private Christian academy through middle school, so the first real brush I had with non-religious music was when I played for musicals and show choir in high school. I didn’t realize it then, but that kind of music started seeping into my subconscious and coming out in my songwriting.

How did you get to where you are today in the industry?
RD: I mostly caught a series of lucky breaks and made some good guesses. I went to the University of Miami for undergrad, not knowing there was a pretty big connection between the scenes of Miami and NYC; I went to NYU for grad school, knowing it would put me at the geographic center of the industry; I tried to be kind and curious toward everyone I met (and I still try!). I’m very fortunate to have met people who have become important collaborators and friends to me along the way.

How did you two start writing together and what “hats” do each of you wear as writing partners?
RD: Wes and I met at NYU in the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, and one of our first assignments there was to collaborate together on a song we called “Black Dress Shoes,” sung by a father trying to teach his son how to deal with the grief of losing his mother. I think from that moment on, we were pretty high on each other’s lists of collaborators, and we chose to write our thesis together the next year. What I think is unique about our hats is that they are fluid. (Not very functional hats, then, I suppose!) Wes unofficially helms the “words” part of the show, and I the “music” part, but we both have experience in both disciplines, and the story is very much a blending of both our voices.

Who influences you most in your work today?
RD: Theatre-wise, probably Lin-Manuel Miranda, because he’s taken the form to such exceptional heights, and because we’re also employing hiphop and other non-traditional-musical-theatre genres in our music for the show. In terms of non-theatre music, I’m constantly seeking out new music that surprises me or speaks truths in ways I haven’t heard before. Lately, that’s been Ben Rector, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Sammy Rae.

On Medusa, what’s the general premise of the musical? What themes does it touch on?
The musical is both a retelling of, and a twist on, the original Medusa myth: how Medusa started as a normal human, but was assaulted and then punished for her own assault and turned into a monster. We lean into themes of speaking truth to power, the persistence of rape culture throughout history, and hope for change in the near future.

What inspired you to write/compose a musical from classical mythology?
Two things really struck us when we first read the myth: 1) that very few people seem to know the whole story of Medusa; and 2) the issues presented in the myth were ones we were still grappling with thousands of years later. The summer we started writing was the summer of the Brock Turner trial, and we were shocked and infuriated that there were such clear parallels to the myth. The MeToo movement and the reckoning it has (and yet hasn’t) brought about only served as added fuel to our fire.

How can the modern day viewer relate to it?
RD: I hope that everyone can draw courage and hope from it, as well as the sense that we still have a long way to go, and that we can accomplish change if we are sensitive to each other’s stories and continue to capitalize on the forward momentum of the last couple of years.

What’s been the most (or some) rewarding thing(s) about writing/composing this project?
RD: Nothing feels as important to me as an audience member approaching us after a show and telling us that she found it cathartic or healing. In a society where survivors are still largely unable to safely confront their abusers, knowing that what we’re doing has made some survivors feel seen or comforted is hugely rewarding.

What’s been the (or some of the) biggest challenge(s)?
One that’s really important to us is making sure all of the characters ring true, especially Medusa. While we have to acknowledge that every survivor’s story is unique, we also can’t tell all of those stories through just one character; but the story we do tell needs to feel truthful and in some way representative. It’s also been difficult, but necessary and rewarding, to being levity and humor to a story that is so bleak (in its original telling).

Does Medusa fit in with theatre trends, does it forge its own path, does it do a little of both?
I think it’s a little of both. I think part of what Hamilton does so brilliantly is take a well-established storytelling structure and follow it to a T, while simultaneously introducing wildly new elements to the form. That’s what we’re aiming to do too – convey a story that’s rarely told onstage via a structure that feels familiar enough that audiences have something to hold onto while they take the ride with us. Our hope is that it will be accessible enough to reach a wide audience while still making a true and powerful statement.

What’s next for the musical?
We can’t formally announce anything just yet, but stay tuned about the spring of 2019!

How can people support you?
Please visit our website, get our newsletter, and/or ask us how it’s going! That means a lot to us, even if there’s not much we can say at a given time. We’re also performing a song for the Lincoln Center Holiday Songbook concert on December 17th at 6pm. It’s free!