The pain (and the joy) of his success is his commitment to the cause

Much of the underlying premise for Sisyphus the Musical can be found in an essay written in 1942 by Albert Camus, where he introduces his philosophy of the absurd, man's futile search for meaning in the face of a world devoid of God and eternal truths or values. Our musical, is a portrayal of the paradox between free will and divine intervention.

In the final chapter of "Le Mythe de Sisyphe" Camus compares the absurdity of man's life with the situation of Sisyphus, a Greek figure who was condemned to repeat forever the same meaningless task of pushing a boulder up a mountain, only to see it roll down again. The essay concludes, "The struggle itself ... is enough to fill a man's heart. In our musical, Sisyphus must teach the citizens to embrace their struggles, despite the wrath of the Gods.