“Chasing Fear,” a folk tale-based musical that began its life at La Jolla Playhouse in 2016, will return in a pair of staged concert performances this weekend at UC San Diego’s Epstein Family Amphitheater.
Adapted from the ancient Turkish folk tale “The Story of the Boy who Went Looking for Fear,” “Chasing Fear” features a score by composer Truth Future Bachman and book by Blake McCarty, the executive artistic director of San Diego’s Blindspot Collective.
This weekend’s performances, which feature a 25-member cast and a live orchestra, are being co-presented by Blindspot and UC San Diego’s ArtPower.
“Chasing Fear” is the coming-of-oage story of a boy who leaves home to confront the true meaning of fear, encountering ogres, ghosts and mermaids along the way. Fantasy and reality blur, while hope and strength are found in unlikely places. The musical was developed at La Jolla Playhouse and over the years has received developmental from New York University, New Village Arts, Cygnet Theatre and New York Theatre Barn. In 2022, Envision Theater Arts staged the musical at San Diego’s Canyon Crest Academy.
The concert performances this weekend will be co-directed by Desha Crownover, who is the former artistic director of San Diego Junior Theatre, and Sarah Salonga, a recent graduate of San Diego State University’s MFA musical theater program. Matt Ignacio will serve as musical director and Aisha Reddick is choreographer.
“We are excited to bring this magical and deeply resonant story to life,” Crownover said, in a statement. “The themes of courage, growth, and the search for identity aremore relevant now than ever, and we hope audiences will find both entertainment and inspiration in our production.”
The musical’s composer, Truth Future Bachman, is now an artist in residence at Joe’s Pub at The Public and La MaMa E.T.C. in New York City. Bachman’s next musical “Second Sight,” will premiere at New York’s Lincoln Center in October. Bachman is a nonbinary composer, vocalist, writer and athlete.
“Chasing Fear” is the first presentation of the Young Artist Collective, a new program developed with from the California Arts Council. In collaboration with UCSD, the production aims to expand the canon of work available for young performers by creating roles that resonate with their lives and identities while uplifting historically excluded or marginalized voices and communities.
By engaging with diverse folklore and contemporary themes, “Chasing Fear” provides a platform for emerging artists to express themselves and connect with audiences on a deeper level while receiving hands-on professional experience.
“ing innovative new works like ‘Chasing Fear’ and cultivating young artists is central to our mission,” said Colleen Kollar Smith, Executive Director of UC San Diego’s Campus Performances and Events Office. “This collaboration exemplifies the incredible talent and creativity that UC San Diego is proud to nurture, and we are thrilled to be part of bringing this unique story to the stage.”
“Chasing Fear” will be performed by Mara Ayres, Virgil Bilben, Ximena Bradford, Jay Campbell, Joshua Carrillo, Caroline Chernock, Cole Chinn, Isabella Combs, Nataly Cunningham, Jansen Espares, AlainaMae Fairchild, Eli Hawley, Richard Hefner Jr., Sarah Kaplan, Jamie Kramer, Quinn Ladran, Heather Little, Elizabeth Ramirez Flores, Joshua Ramos, Sophia Sayre, Victoria Alegra Villanueva, Cori Young, and Paulina Zepeda.
‘Chasing Fear’
When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Where: Epstein Family Amphitheater, 9480 Innovation Lane, UC San Diego, La Jolla
Tickets: $30
Online: blindspotcollective.org/chasing-fear
