Fearless
- Ana De Archuleta
- Aug 30, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: May 28
Directed by: Malena Dayen
Music and Libretto by: Derrick Wang
Original Production
May 2025 - Opera Delaware, Grand Opera House in Wilmington, DE
DESIGNERS
Ben Makino- Music Director
John Raley - Set Designer
Lupe Marín Burgin- Visual Media designer
Tlåloc Lopez-Watermann - Lighting Designer
Howard Tsvi Kaplan -Costume Designer
Brittany Rappise - Hair & Makeup Designer
ORIGINAL CAST
Karen Vuong- Iris
Ariana Maubach- Hazel
Suchan Kim- Victor
Alice Chung- Mother
Emily Margevich- Ensemble Soprano 1
Toni Marie Palmertree- Ensemble Soprano 2
Gina Perregrino- Ensemble Mezzo
Luke Norvell- Ensemble Tenor
Ben Wager- Ensemble Baritone
Director's Note
When I became an American citizen, the judge presiding over the naturalization ceremony stood before a vast hall filled with new citizens from every corner of the world. Her words were brief but powerful—words that have stayed with me ever since.She said: “Now you have the responsibility to build and shape the America you dream of.”
This opera is more than a historical narrative. It is an intimate exploration of family, identity, belonging, and resilience in the face of displacement and conflict. It asks how we carry forward the past, how we shape our future, and how we choose to define ourselves in times of great upheaval.
At its center is the story of the Lee family, Chinese Americans who, like many immigrant families, navigated both the promise and the burden of the American dream. The characters and events in Fearless are based on real people and lived experiences. Hazel Ying Lee, one of the first Chinese American women to fly for the U.S. military, and her brother Victor Lee, a soldier of the U.S. army during WWII, were part of a large family. The character of Iris, a fictionalized sibling, serves as a narrative thread—a bridge between history and memory. As narrator, witness, and participant, Iris offers the audience a deeply human lens through which to view the family’s journey. Through her eyes, we experience the personal stakes behind the history that shaped their lives.
In creating the visual world of Fearless, I collaborated with Guadalupe Marín Burgin to use archival footage not as background, but as a poetic and interpretive force. These video art pieces act as living textures—reworked, layered, and reframed to blur the boundaries between past and present, fact and feeling. By destabilizing the historical image, we invite viewers into a space where memory, emotion, and history coexist.
This creative process has been one of profound emotional and artistic engagement. As someone who understands what it means to straddle different cultures, histories, and definitions of home, I feel a deep kinship with the themes of this opera. The Lee family's story is uniquely theirs, but it also speaks to a broader human experience—the struggle to belong, to be seen, and to leave a meaningful legacy in a world that is often indifferent to those on the margins.
To be part of the creation of Fearless is an immense honor and a privilege. It is a reminder that art can bear witness, create space for forgotten voices, and challenge us to imagine a future shaped not only by struggle, but also by courage, empathy, and transformation.
Reviews
"Director Malena Dayen created inventive and effective staging. "eloquent and moving...soulfully written...filled with soaring melodies, memorable songs...and a masterful orchestration... The opening night audience sat riveted to the end."
- Broad Street Review
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