(Photo courtesy of arizonatheatre.org)

"The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord" is playing in Phoenix in May 2016.

When historical figures get together, interesting things usually happen. And what happens when those figures are talking about what makes human beings tick, why we exist and what — if anything — comes next?

That’s what playwright Scott Carter explores in "The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord."

It’s the next play presented by Arizona Theatre Company. We spoke with Carter, who is also executive producer of "Real Time with Bill Maher."