Valley of Light is about chasing your shadow, and flowers growing through the cracks of concrete. I love the idea of a deconstructed hero’s journey, and was inspired by the sound and feel of works such as “Hadestown”, centered on universal themes of love and grief with a folkloresque feel. The original concept for Valley of Light was to feel like a new world’s mythology, but instead of taking place in the distant past, it takes place in the distant future. I imagine a world where following the collapse of society, glimmers of hope shine through the desolation as the world is reclaimed by nature and humanity begins to rebuild with new values.

I hope that audiences come away from the theatre reflecting inward on their own values and priorities. Although there is a lot of darkness in the script, I hope that audiences will leave the theatre inspired and hopeful, with a new sense of gratitude for life’s simple joys and the people close to them.

What solidified the world of the play for me was various trips to Griffith park, especially the old zoo: The juxtaposition of derelict concrete structures with years of layered graffiti as overgrown plant life and nature overtake them. The title was inspired by a trip up to the observatory: I thought I’d go and stargaze, but realized too late that you can’t actually see the stars from the observatory due to light pollution. Instead, you see the valley of Los Angeles, twinkling with light, as if all the stars had fallen from the sky and into the city.