Diana Goodman is a suburban housewife and mother of two.
But Goodman, the main character in the Broadway hit musical Next to Normal, struggles with her worsening bipolar disorder, delusional episodes and the painful effects they cause her and her family.
The 2010 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning rock musical, written by American playwright Brian Yorkey and American composer Tom Kitt, hits the stage at The Gladstone theatre on Oct. 15.
The production, presented by Indie Women Productions, is a fundraiser for the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health and runs through Saturday.
Audiences can expect to be thrilled by this production, says Cindi Lee Bates, founder of IWP and director of the show.
“I am certain that the vast majority will laugh, will be moved to tears and may, like me, want to see and listen to it again and again.”
Coincidentally, the musical closely follows Ottawa’s Mental Illness Awareness Week and addresses such issues as bipolar disorder, suicide, grief, drug abuse and the challenges faced by those suffering from psychological afflictions.
Bates says she hopes viewers will be encouraged to discuss mental health issues related to the show, such as how to support friends and family members who may suffer from mental illness, as well as the role communities must play to ensure quality treatment is in place for those who suffer.
The members of IWP have all experienced, directly or indirectly, the adverse effects mental illness has on individuals, families and society, says Bates.
“Taking action in a way that is meaningful for us,” she says, “meant using our artistic and creative interests and abilities to raise both societal awareness and money for the Royal, our very own local, cutting-edge facility for the care and treatment of those who suffer.”
IWP was founded specifically to bring Next to Normal to the Ottawa area, explains Joan Frommer, IWP co-founder and the producer of the show.
In order to get a licence to obtain the script for Next to Normal, Bates and Frommer had to create a theatre production company. Once they formed IWP, they realized they could fulfill a creative function in the community.
“As retired women with a passion for theatre, we really wanted to focus on plays that have strong social content, relatable, relevant stories and strong female characters,” says Frommer.
“We thought, hey! Wouldn’t it be great to take shows and tie them to a charity or do them as a fundraiser? Because then we could raise awareness and put on a great show all at the same time,” she adds.
Rachel Scott-Mignon, 31, a spokesperson for the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health, is the assistant director of the show.
She says she thinks the most important thing about Next to Normal is that it brings mental illness directly into the spotlight.
Diagnosed with bipolar disorder about 10 years ago, Scott-Mignon decided to go public with her story to help other people understand their diagnosis.
“Many people are shy to come forward with their mental illness and so I approached the Royal Ottawa and said I am willing to do whatever it takes to help the cause . . . so they put me in the limelight,” she explains.
Scott-Mignon says the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health put her in contact with Bates and Frommer, after they found out she has a degree in theatre studies.
“We discussed how I could be involved with the show and now I am lucky to call myself the assistant director,” she says.“I think Next to Normal opens up a dialogue about mental illness and how it not only affects the person with it, but also how it affects people around it, their daily lives and their personal relationships.”
The musical began in 1998 as a workshop sketch about a woman undergoing electroshock therapy and the impact it had on her and her family. It was highly critical of the medical treatment.
Yorkey brought the idea to Kitt, who later wrote a rock score for the short piece. Over time, the creators focused on the family’s pain rather than on the critical evaluation of the medical treatment and expanded the show into a full-length musical.
“What I most appreciate about the writing is that the creators . . . managed to take a completely unexpected topic and successfully create an award-winning piece of musical theatre that entertains, provokes, raises awareness and forever changes the possibilities for what this genre of theatre can do,” says Bates.
Skye MacDiarmid, an Ottawa-based actor and singer, is cast as leading lady Diana. She says a lot of people who do not suffer from a mental illness do not understand how difficult it is.
“I was misdiagnosed and medicated for bipolar disorder at a very young age. Unfortunately, it was only until monitoring my mood swings for a year when we realized that it was not quite the right diagnosis . . . so I can relate to being misdiagnosed.”
MacDiarmid adds: “You really get a glimpse of what it’s like to have a mental illness through watching the show. It is such a personal story, told so honestly and sincerely. If you are an audience member, you have to either react or relate to it, because there is no getting around this story otherwise.”
Talk-back sessions with the cast will take place after every show, giving audience members a chance to ask the actors about their experiences on stage.
A silent auction will also take place before and after every show, with items including theatre tickets and goodie baskets. Money collected from the auction and ticket sales will go directly to the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health to support research.
“Being part of Ottawa’s premiere of Next to Normal means that you have made a contribution to our fundraising campaign for the Royal. You have joined the conversation. You have made a difference,” says Bates.
“If you are looking for something that is going to really touch your heart, get you thinking and give you hope, this is the play to do it. It will show you that you are not alone,” MacDiarmid added.
For more information about ticket prices and show times please visit: http://thegladstone.ca/next_to_normal.html.