I left The Fear Program with a profound, unexpected feeling: my perspective on my own personal fears had shifted.
As adults, our anxieties naturally evolve beyond the monsters hiding under our beds or lurking in our closets. Yet, standing in the middle of this experience, I realized that many of our adult fears aren’t much different in probability or nature than those childhood monsters. But more importantly, if those fears do come to pass, we have the capacity to face them head-on just as we would have faced a monster in the closet as a child if we truly had to.
The Fear Program takes your abstract, internal anxieties and turns them into a tangible, deeply personal journey.
Located at a private residence in Encino, CA, the experience requires strict arrival timing and respect for the residential neighborhood. Guests wait alone outside a large black gate until the journey begins. Blindfolded and accompanied by brilliantly executed, old-timey audio instructions, you are transported into the world of The Institute of Fear Processing.
Upon arrival, you check in with the Receptionist, played by Cara Leahy. Cara strikes the perfect balance of warmth, sharp sarcasm, and that weary, “over-it” attitude you’d expect from an administrative worker at an institute dedicated to fear, with just a sprinkle of underlying unease.
During the intake for your “temporary position” at the Institute, you answer diagnostic questions and physically mark where you feel fear in your body on an anatomical map (for me, it’s right in my chest). This intimate intake immediately anchors the narrative around you.
The Receptionist then sends you along with checklist of responsibilities in hand to assist a child named June, brought to life by Nina Santoyo. June needs help overcoming her fear of the monsters in her bedroom. What follows is nostalgic and eerie: pulling back curtains, checking under blankets, and peering into dark closets.
When chaos inevitably ensues, June is pulled into the frightening monster realm. To help her, you must choose to step through the threshold yourself.
Guided by June, who knows this world, you navigate the dark, scary place together. The Monster, played by Zack Eliassi, represents a force you must carefully outmaneuver so you don’t lose a piece of yourself to the darkness. It’s a rich exploration of what fear is, how we interact with the fears of others, and how we can utilize our own fears rather than let them consume us.
Sam Eliassi has crafted something truly extraordinary. (I would not have guessed this was his debut immersive show.) The set design is exceptionally well-done for the space and budget, creating an unsettling, creepy environment that feels distinctly tailored to childhood dread. The script is tight, thoughtful, and expertly executed by the entire team. I felt like I was in the hands of seasoned, highly professional creators and performers.
What impressed me most was how deeply the experience resonated with me. I left genuinely changed with a psychological and emotional shift not unlike what you’d experience in a therapy session, hypnosis, or deep meditation, but delivered through the medium of immersive theater.
The Fear Program is a remarkable debut for Sam Eliassi and Third Way Studios. It left me thoroughly impressed and eager to see what this team accomplishes with future projects, larger spaces, and expanded budgets.
If you get the chance to step inside The Institute of Fear Processing, take it. You might just walk out a little less afraid of what’s waiting in the dark.
Sam Eliassi – Creator, Writer, Director, and Producer
Cara Leahy – Receptionist
Nina Santoyo – June
Zack Eliassi – The Monster
Ashley Love – Crew Member