The following is an interview with Joshua Chamberlain regarding the production, The Men Who Drew the Universe, at the 2026 Hollywood Fringe Festival. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Chamberlain about the genesis behind the production, what he hopes that audiences may take away from the show’s themes, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Your production, The Men Who Drew the Universe, will be appearing at the Hollywood Fringe Festival this summer. What can you tell us about the genesis behind the production, and how would you describe its premise?
Joshua Chamberlain: About ten years ago, I was researching an idea I had for a screenplay about comic book writers. I’d picked up a copy of Sean Howe’s Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, and about halfway through reading it, I remember thinking, “Oh, shit… there’s a play in here.”
I was so captivated by the relationship between Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, these two men who embody differing definitions of what it means to succeed in America, but come together to create something larger than either of them. That’s the heart of the story we’re telling—two men who are better together than apart, but grow to resent one another due to that fact. And for whatever reason, the story came to me as a play instead of anything else. There’s something inherently epic and tragic about Stan and Jack’s relationship and I wanted to see that embodied on stage first and foremost.
BD: As the playwright and director, what can you share with us about your shared creative process with the cast and crew in bringing it to life on the stage?
JC: I heard a director say once, “It’s not my job to have the best idea. It’s my job to recognize the best idea.” Directing a piece I’ve written, there’s always the danger of being too precious and getting caught up in my own ideas. So, it was a conscious effort throughout the rehearsal process to allow the cast to bring any and every idea to the table, whether for character behavior, costumes, or even subtle adjustments to the dialogue. One great example: Cliff Weissman, who’s playing Marvel publisher Martin Goodman, asked about his character’s Jewish heritage. “You’ve pointed to it in the script,” he told me. “But I’d like to add a little bit more.” I let him run wild with it and he found some absolutely brilliant moments that wound up in the show.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that this production may connect with audiences, and what, if any, conversations do you hope that it may inspire?
JC: I keep telling people this story is about the “mythology behind the mythology.” Yes, it’s about how Stan and Jack created The Avengers and The X-Men and the stable of characters we’ve all come to know and love, but more than that, it’s about how the narrative surrounding that creation becomes a myth of its own, mostly through Stan’s doing. If anything, I want audiences to walk away not just thinking about who deserves credit for creating what hero, but also thinking critically about the stories we’re collectively telling and where those stories come from. The hope is to sharpen the audience’s ability to distinguish between what really happened and what they’re told happened, a skill I think is more vital than ever.
BD: What makes the Hollywood Fringe Festival the best venue for The Men Who Drew the Universe?
JC: The magnificent thing about Fringe is anyone can produce anything. It’s a haven for all nerds of all kinds, which, of course, I mean in the most loving way possible. One of things that was important to me and Kristina (Miller-Weston, the producer on the project) was engaging with the audience and cultivating a fanbase, ideally of both theater-goers and comic fans. Fringe felt like the perfect place for those two communities to intersect.
BD: The show will be appearing at The Broadwater Mainstage from June 11-28, 2026. Are there any future plans to perform the show at other venues?
JC: That’s definitely the hope. Fringe only allotted us ninety minutes, which was the perfect amount of time to workshop the major story points in a contained space and gauge audience reaction. But in my head, this whole story is a three-act behemoth, something on par with Angels in America or The Lehman Trilogy. We’ll see if people are willing to sit still that long though.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell readers who want to learn more about and purchase tickets for The Men Who Drew the Universe?
JC: The best place to find us is on Instagram at @whodrewtheuniverse. We’re sharing all sorts of behind-scenes-stuff, including interviews with the cast, photos from the rehearsal process, and images from a promotional comic we commissioned. That’s also the best place to find show dates and the link to buy tickets.
