Be Not Afraid – A Live Queer Horror Experience

Sponsored Feature: Cursed Productions

Be Not Afraid is an upcoming supernatural horror stage show written and directed by Carlos Cameron. The production runs June 19–21 at The Victory Theatre Center.

Be Not Afraid by Cursed Productions, Carlos Cameron

When a terminally ill queer man is visited by a supernatural being, he’s given an offer that could change his life… but is he willing to pay the cost?

A Q&A with writer‑director Carlos Cameron

Welcome, Carlos! Thanks for joining us to discuss your new supernatural horror stage show, Be Not Afraid. What inspired this production, and how did the idea first come to you?

I knew I wanted to do another horror adjacent horror after my previous show Play Things last year, and I started brainstorming in December about different ideas I wanted to develop. I really wanted something that would make sense as a live show, and as this idea came to me it just snowballed from there. I knew I wanted a cool antagonist and that I wanted to focus on a group of queer boys figuring out life together, and it actually started as a sort of pastiche of the “chosen one” trope in YA fiction, but evolved into what it is now.

What can you tell us about the main character and what he’s going through in this story?

Dante is someone who has so much heart and a passion for life, and he’s at a point where that passion is being taken from him. He’s facing down the reality that he doesn’t have much time left, and he’s letting it affect his relationship with his friends in really negative ways. This show is about his acceptance or denial of his fate, and whether or not your fate can be changed.

This show is about acceptance or denial of fate, and whether or not your fate can be changed.

What themes were most important for you to explore in Be Not Afraid?

This show revolves a lot around religious trauma, which was not what I anticipated going in. I luckily don’t have that baggage, but a lot of people I know have dealt with that in their lives, and it’s something that sticks with you and informs who you are. The main theme to me is unwavering queer friendship, and really getting into the weeds about whether or not friendships can survive through tough times, in this case, a supernatural being from another dimension.

Horror on stage requires a different toolkit than horror on film. What theatrical techniques are you using to create fear, suspense, or unease in a live space?

I produce music as well, so my theatrical productions thus far have utilized sound design a lot to carry the horror. I also love using lighting, blackouts, strobing, etc. So much of horror is visual, and I’m really trying to create these horror tableau’s that will stick in your head after you’ve left the theatre. This show definitely leans more into the horror of deteriorating friendships and what desperate people will do to each other to live.

What was the casting process like?

Casting was super difficult, I saw so many talented artists but what it came down to was their chemistry together. I wrote the characters with a good idea of who they should be, and I found people who both fit the mold exactly of what I was looking for, and others who totally made the character their own and impressed the hell out of me. This cast has so much chemistry, and just watching them interact is such a treat. They’re all so talented and make the emotional stakes of the show feel real, and important.

This cast has so much chemistry, and just watching them interact is a treat. They’re all so talented and make the emotional stakes of the show feel real and important.

What has been the biggest challenge of bringing this production to life?

This is the biggest project I’ve tackled so far, so for me it’s getting used to wrangling so many different departments, because I have a lot of friends doing amazing work on this show. There’s incredible people doing set, costumes, music, etc. so just juggling all of that and making sure it gets done on time is something I try to be very on top of which is always challenging. One costume in particular has been a lot of playing around and testing what will be practical while still looking cool and horrific.

What does queer visibility in horror mean to you as a storyteller?

Horror is a great medium to tell personal, political, important stories. We live in a time where being queer is innately political, so I think anything that has an all queer cast is a huge deal, and it’s important to me that we have that representation. I’ve always been of the mind that if these big studios are too scared to put us in movies, then I’ll make my own representation and create what I want to see more of.

What are you hoping audiences take away from Be Not Afraid?

So much. I hope they remember that people are complex and make mistakes, I hope they realize that you can be loved unconditionally by your friends. I also want people to see this scrappy little indie show and be inspired to create their own stories, and support smaller companies and artists like myself who have things to say.

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