Spanning decades from the 1920’s in China to the 1990’s in America, Bahala Na (Let It Go) is about an aging Chinese woman who conjures up memories of her life in China and the Philippines, in hopes of transforming her gay grandson. Her memories, steeped in conflicts about race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and generational differences, open doors to the past, grip her heart, and lead her to an unexpected ending. In an ironic and yet beautiful way, the playwright takes us into the turbulent world of China and the Philippines from the 1920's through the 1940's. The aging woman is in search of a way to understand her grandson's gay nature, digging through her memories and coming across unexpected moments of her own personal pleasure and pain.

Chinese American playwright Clarence Coo began working on Bahala Na (Let It Go) in 1995 as a one-act play for the young Playwright’s Festival in New York City. It was a featured work of the festival and received very positive responses from audiences and artists alike. Additional readings and development were hosted by East West Players in Los Angeles and the Young Playwright’s Festival. Mu Performing Arts was introduced to Coo through Chay Yew, a prominent Asian American playwright and director on the national scene. Rick Shiomi says, “When we did our first reading of Bahala Na (Let It Go) at our New Eyes Festival, we were captivated by the lyrical style of his writing.” Director Jennifer Weir was drawn to the script because of the “poetic and epic quality of the writing,” and was intrigued by the challenge of actors playing multiple roles that span time, gender, and culture.

The play reveals the multitude of vectors that make up one’s identity as well as one’s family legacy: culture, nationality, language, gender, and sexuality are just a few examples. Jennifer Weir notes that in Bahala Na (Let It Go), “the straight and gay characters are equally woven into the family history, and their struggles are defined by the culture of their time.” Ultimately, says Rick Shiomi, “Bahala Na (Let It Go) is a wonderful play about letting go, about embracing the ones you love rather than judging them. And we are proud to open our season with the world premiere of this play.”