The Expanding Reach of Impact, Chase Espinal

Chase Espinal | PERFECTS 2 

In the landscape of Los Angeles theater, where ambition and reinvention often collide, Chase Espinal measures success not by applause alone, but by impact. His big dream is direct and expansive: to consistently level up the people around him while leveling up himself in the process. As his dreams grow, so does the reach of the net he hopes to cast. Through faith, art, creation, and kindness, he seeks to leave something meaningful behind every time he steps into a role.

Chase approaches performance as a collaborative force. For him, theater is not a spotlight but a system. It is a living organism powered by artists working in alignment to unlock something in the audience. That understanding began early, in a darkened movie theater in 1997.

Watching Titanic on the big screen left a permanent imprint. As a child, he did not yet grasp the mechanics of filmmaking. He believed he was witnessing real events captured live. What struck him later was not just the spectacle, but the realization that storytelling is a coordinated act of faith and execution. A massive team delivering in unison to move a room full of strangers. That revelation, combined with a natural draw toward performance and improvisation, awakened something lasting. He did not just want to watch stories. He wanted to be one of the moving parts inside them.

That instinct carried him through years of stage and screen work. Before relocating to Los Angeles in 2023, Chase spent nearly a decade as a member of a minimalist DIY theater company in Chicago. Working within the constraints of independent production shaped his craft in essential ways. Independent theater in LA and beyond often demands resourcefulness, discipline, and emotional truth. In Chicago’s grassroots scene, he learned that minimalism can sharpen performance rather than diminish it. When spectacle is stripped away, the actor remains.

He was also an active presence in Chicago’s short film circles, contributing to collaborative projects that emphasized experimentation and creative risk. That period forged a respect for ensemble work and a hunger to grow beyond comfort. After arriving in Los Angeles, he continued stretching his range through comedic and horror roles with local filmmakers. Those genres, he notes, force an actor to bend. Comedy demands precision and vulnerability. Horror requires psychological commitment and physical control. Both sharpen instincts that translate seamlessly into live theater in Los Angeles.

Now, in PERFECTS 2, a contemporary stage production mounted by John Graves Productions in partnership with the Bi-Coastal Theater Collective, Chase steps into the role of Jackie. The production stands within the ecosystem of independent theater in LA that values story over spectacle and character over caricature. For an emerging actor in LA who thrives on collaborative energy, the environment is both demanding and affirming.

When asked what he is most proud of, his answer is immediate: the project he is currently on. That response speaks to a grounded perspective. Rather than resting on previous credits, he invests fully in the work at hand. In a city driven by what is next, Chase remains rooted in what is present. That focus strengthens his contribution to the ensemble and reinforces the ethos of John Graves Productions, where each performer carries responsibility not only for their role, but for the integrity of the entire piece.

Chase also speaks thoughtfully about the broader climate of the arts. He expresses a desire to see an explosion of queer and BIPOC cinema across all genres and subgenres. Not confined to issue-based narratives, but expansive storytelling featuring diverse bodies, faces, and voices in every type of story imaginable. His perspective reflects a growing shift within Los Angeles theater and film communities, where representation is no longer a side conversation but a structural priority.

The evolution of independent theater in LA depends on artists who advocate not just for their own visibility, but for wider creative inclusion. Chase positions himself as an active participant in that effort. He does not frame representation as a trend. He frames it as a necessary expansion of story. More writers. More genres. More lived experiences. A broader field of voices stepping into authorship and performance.

Beyond PERFECTS 2, audiences can expect to see him in several short films slated for release in the coming months. These projects continue to explore the intersections of genre and identity that define his artistic curiosity. For a stage actor in Los Angeles navigating both live and filmed mediums, that balance reflects adaptability. It also reflects a commitment to staying in motion.

His guiding mantra is simple: God’s got it. The phrase does not suggest passivity. It suggests trust. In an industry marked by uncertainty, that foundation allows him to work with steadiness rather than fear. Faith, for Chase, is not separate from art. It informs it. It anchors it. It widens the net of who he hopes to impact.

Within the ongoing work of John Graves Productions and the Bi-Coastal Theater Collective, Chase Espinal represents a generation of artists who see storytelling as communal architecture. Each role, each rehearsal, each performance becomes an opportunity to shift someone’s perspective, even slightly. In the context of contemporary stage production, that is not a small ambition. It is the core of why live theater in Los Angeles continues to matter.

As PERFECTS 2 unfolds, audiences will see Jackie on stage. What they may not immediately see is the larger dream behind the performance. An artist committed to impact. An emerging actor in LA who understands that stories are not built alone. And a performer determined to keep expanding the circle of who feels seen, moved, and lifted in the room.