Collaboration

Yesterday, I found myself inspired by a story a musician friend shared. We’re both history buffs, so whenever a conversation turns to a lesser-known figure from the past, I lean in. This time, it was about a man who roamed California’s Central Valley in the late 1800s—a figure I knew almost nothing about.

My friend, however, knew him well. He had collected photographs and paintings, read extensively, and carried a deep fascination with this man’s life. Two months ago, after listening to him talk, I said, almost offhandedly, “You should write a play.”

Yesterday, an image struck me—sudden and vivid. I sat down to write, and the words poured out faster than my fingers could keep up with the keyboard. When I finished, I sent him the pages and said, “Now it’s your turn.”

That’s how collaboration begins.

Writers come from all walks of life and professions, but to me, an artist is simply an artist. Creativity doesn’t belong to one discipline—it moves freely between them. Give someone the right spark, a bit of opportunity, and maybe a gentle nudge, and something new can emerge.

I know how to write plays. My collaborator knows the story that needs to be told—and more importantly, why it must be told. I gave him a brief introduction to the craft, and now he’s off and running. When he sends me his pages, I’ll respond with mine. Back and forth, we’ll build this piece over the coming months.

And what excites me most is not just the work itself, but the process. It’s alive. It’s unpredictable. It’s fun.

If you’re a writer, I encourage you to find an artist friend and try this kind of collaboration. Share the work. Trade pages. Build something together.

You might discover, as I have, that it’s not just productive—it’s exhilarating.

Silvia Gonzalez Scherer, Executive Artistic Director of Hanford Multicultural Theater