THE MEN WHO DREW THE UNIVERSE Will Make World Premiere at Hollywood Fringe Festival
Joshua Chamberlain's play about Stan Lee and Jack Kirby runs at The Broadwater with a cast of seven
Liquid Fiction, in partnership with KoolBnz Productions, will be producing the world premiere production of The Men Who Drew The Universe, from acclaimed playwright and director, Joshua Chamberlain, at the 2026 Hollywood Fringe Festival.
The Men Who Drew The Universe recounts the story of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's creative partnership, which yielded the world-renowned stable of Marvel superheroes, including Spider-Man, Captain America, The Fantastic Four, and The X-Men. While these heroes themselves don't play a role on stage, the depiction of their creation and cultural impact provides an exploration of cultural memory, creative collaboration, and what it means to succeed in America.
"I found the story of these two icons so compelling," writer/director Joshua Chamberlain says. "Ultimately, I wanted to dive into the ways success looks different to different people. For Jack Kirby, it meant putting food on the table for his wife and kids. For Stan Lee, it meant mortgaging his identity to become the icon so many of us know and love."
"At its core, this is a play about the breakup of a creative partnership," says producer Kristina Miller-Weston, who also appears onstage as Kirby's wife, Roz. "It's a story about everything that spills out of us when an intimate friendship ends-the good, the bad, and the ugly. It was a no-brainer when Josh asked me to come on board because he's created something so relatable."
The Men Who Drew the Universe runs ninety minutes and features a cast of seven actors (Bryan McKinley, Leif Gantvoort, Cliff Weissman, Kristina Miller-Weston, Elle Shaheen, Alex Vaughn, and Reid Emmons). Performances are scheduled at the MainStage space of The Broadwater (1078 Lillian Way, Los Angeles, CA 90038). The production will run for five performances, beginning June 7th and concluding on June 22nd. Tickets are available for purchase through the Hollywood Fringe website.
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