The performance of a creative work incorporating song, music, dance, and visual and technical design requires a system or method of interconnecting the creative work of a group of people. Secret Commonwealth creator Dan Dutton explains:
I use a simple process, one that can also be used by students who collaborate on the creation of a piece of art. This process includes
At the beginning of the production phase of The Road, I began to share the songs and stories with other musicians. Together, we began to perform the songs in a series of concerts and jam sessions. Arrangements of the songs evolved in response to the creativity of the performers and the circumstances of the performances.
Work with the choreographer and dancers began with telling the story and sharing the music. Each performer discovered a personal experience that corresponded with the images and the events in The Road. In a series of week-long workshops, the artists met to share and explore individual insights and ideas as a group. During those workshops, the form of the performance began to evolve as the group developed methods for reaching consensus.
As the technical demands of the work became clear, the costume, stage, and lighting designs evolved to aid the expression of meaning.
From inception to performance, work on The Road took six years, and involved the work of at least 50 artists and technicians.