When people ask me what I am most afraid of, I usually put on a smile and say something sarcastic like, “missionaries at my front door and they know I’m at home.” That usually gets a chuckle but it allows me to dodge the question. But now I am in the corner, for facing my fears sometimes inspires me to work on new things. My friends, my greatest fear is water; drowning more precisely. There is something about deep water that makes me feel uncomfortable. Years ago, when I was young, I worked in commercial fishing and traveled the Western seas, spending many hours conversing with fishermen and other sailors. I have personally known those who have perished in the dark depths of the ocean. The idea of being alone in those last moments, cold, unable to breathe as you fight for the surface and your body goes into shock from the icy water, that to me is true terror. This might explain why I will never try anything like a water escape. The concept of this to me is beyond my ability to outthink the trap.
But there becomes a time when your fears become your allies. 2021 was professionally very kind to me, as the world slowly opens, and we begin to venture out. I began to wonder where would I take Illusions of the Past in 2022? The answers were found with a few conversations with friends over lemonade and a visit to a museum. A while ago in San Diego, I sat at the waterfront with a friend, my feet dangling about fifteen feet above the water. Staring down at the green murkiness, my mind began to wander. I looked up and saw the San Diego Maritime Museum. Two of the prized vessels in their collection are the Star of India and the Berkeley, both notoriously known to be haunted. It is there I had my inspiration. I’m going to push my love of history and dark storytelling and empathy with the dead to a place I honestly fear to go. Welcome to my fears, soon to be yours. Bring your life preserver and your whistle, and plunge with me into The Deep. Premiering midsummer 2022.
