Being normal can be difficult, because society sets the definition of normal that people should achieve. However, this is not the thought process individuals should be following. On November 7, 2016, I experienced a wonderful performance at the University of Michigan-Flint theater. Next to Normal was a play that brought out a variety of emotions within the audience. This musical gave a delightful act on expressing mental issues and how it affected a certain family. Theater is a way of storytelling that which allowed us to observe how this one family can be greatly impacted by a mental illness. Not knowing what to expect from the show, the set and program provided me with a glimpse of what I am to see. There are numerous factors that influence
a shows overall performance, and the audience becomes the observer and critic as the act plays through. To start off, I found the lighting to be a nice detail that used distinguishing colors for each character and their moods. This provided the audience a way to follow along in the story. It allowed me see what type of emotion the characters were feeling at that moment. This play touched on such a heavy topic that I personally think doing a musical was the best method to go. If it was only words the whole time, then it would be too heavy to even follow because we would be focused on the sadness within it. The musical broadened the view of mental illness and involved the audience in the family’s emotions. The way music was used to highlight the story was exceptional. I enjoyed a lot of the songs because I felt the music tied the plot together. Unfortunately, one thing I did not like in the play was when the mother threw the pills down the drain, the sound of the disposal going off took me out of the story. This dissatisfied me because I felt like there was a delay in the sound, like it was misplaced. Of course, the setup was not the only thing to catch my attention. The actors that used detail for their character made it seem more realistic. I liked when the daughter, Natalie, practiced the piano for her recital. The way she her fingers moved and her acting made it look as if she was seriously playing the piano and this amazed me at how well the actors were with their characters. Also, there were parts of the story that I found amusing, when the doctor became a literal rock star it made for a good comedic relief. Costumes impacted the show as well, when the mom went through shock therapy she came back dressed in white, giving the impression to me that she was clean and starting fresh in her mind. In two hours, my emotions were all over the place as I experienced anger, sadness, and happiness. I did not realize a great performance could cause me to relate to the characters. I learned that there are a lot of factors that contribute to making a great performance for the audience. Lights, music, sounds, story, setup, costumes, and even our perception on the characters allow the performance to either make it or break it. The dedication and effort the actors put into the characters they were portraying shown through. I believed that their experiences they brought to the character added much depth into the story itself. I would recommend this show to anyone honestly and I am glad that I could experience the performance.
In the play “Circle Mirror Transformation” by Annie Baker took place at an acting workshop in small town Vermont. Annie Baker presented the characters to the audiences by them getting to know each other in the almost uncomfortably intimate way. In the play, the characters underwent the emotional growth and the knowledge about each other personal issues. Although theater is only pretending yet the play suggested that it is the best way to get to the truth.
The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal, written by Jonathan Mooney, has provided me with a unique insight into the various thoughts of people who society has deemed as “not normal.” The people that Mooney has included in his book do not really understand why they have been placed under this category. However, they are doing all that they can to not be belittled and to come out on top.
Most people want to be normal. The definition of normal however, depends on the culture of the person making the judgment. Far too often, normal is defined in America by looking at the actions and beliefs of the average white middle class family. This definition of normal fails to let other cultures to be accepted, creating distance and misunderstanding.
Mental illness is a plague that incapacitates the human brain and corrupts people’s thoughts and feelings. “In the United States and internationally mental disorders are common.“ According to the National Institute of mental Health (Statistic, page 1) an estimated 26.2 percent of American ages 18 and older , that’s about one in four adults, suffer from diagnosable mental disorder in a given year”. Many people walk the challenges of mental illness without a proper diagnosis, or confirming their suspicion that something is wrong with how they are functioning on a daily basis. It is important to note that mental illnesses affects the relationship between parents, children, siblings, friends and ultimately with society as a whole. Untreated mental illness negatively impacts the hum brain in different capacities. People suffering from mental illness have difficulties making daily living skill choices and decisions. Dominic Carter is a successful Journalist working for the biggest media conglomerate in the United States. He works for Time Warner, NY1, and has interviewed people of the caliber of Nelson Mandela, Michael Jackson and has appeared on the cover of The New York Times, something Dominic never thought he would achieve. Dominic also attended many social events at the White House where he had the opportunity to meet with former President, Bill Clinton. During the rise of his career Dominic Carter decided to uncover his past history and what he discovers is not the typical loving and caring story of a mother, son relationship. Dominic describes how his mother struggle with mental illness and how his life was impacted by his life was negatively impacted by his mother’s mental illness. Like Dominic Carter’s mother...
Girl Interrupted is a film about a young woman, Susanna Kaysen, who voluntarily enters a psychiatric facility in Massachusetts. The purpose of this paper is to analyze a portrayal of psychiatric care in the 1960’s. The film is based on the memoirs of Susanna Kaysen and her experiences during an 18 month stay at a mental institution. During her visit, Susanna is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. The film depicts psychiatric care, diagnoses, and treatments from a different era.
Literature is the vehicle of society. Since the dawn of language, the written word has been humanity’s greatest tool, and its greatest weapon. Throughout history, the greatest literary minds are those capable of eliciting emotion and asking the questions that demand answers. When scholars think of works with ‘literary merit,’ they call upon the stories that have stood the test of time. These works challenge the widely accepted norms of their respective time periods in a way that sets them apart from their contemporaries. In this way, The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick is a novel deserving of solid literary recognition. Quick’s story tackles the pervasive issue of mental illness in America, and challenges the reader to look through the lens of a victim of a serious medical condition. Rarely does a novel effectively refute commonly accepted stereotypes and assumptions as The Silver Linings Playbook does. The story, and subsequent message of hope from Pat Peoples, the main character, is one that transcends social and literary boundaries. Clever rhetorical techniques and devices only exemplify the central theme of optimism, while also creating a perspective that forces the reader to think differently. Not all stories have the endings we may expect or wish for ourselves. However, this novel calls us to seek something greater than ourselves and face our problems head on. This advice is universal and applicable in any era or situation. By the traditional definition, The Silver Linings Playbook has enough literary excellence and emotional value to warrant considerable literary merit.
It tells the story of a person, family and community in which individuals suffer from mental disorders much the same way as people do in the real world. Not only did I find this movie quite accurate concerning mental illness but I also established some important messages concerning mental illness in today’s society. The film takes into account that mental illness is a part of society and overall has a positive outlook on it. Their illnesses don 't define their identities nor are they even the main point of the story. In coming together, the characters find the mutual support that enables them to approach their struggles and redirect their lives in a more positive direction. To some degree, this film addresses stigma and the fact that persons with mental illness should be allowed to participate in society over being kept in a hospital, in other words, it gives
Most people gather what they know about mental illnesses from television and film. Unfortunately these media portrayals are inaccurate and create stigma. They depict people suffering from mental illnesses as different, dangerous and laughable. Characters are often addicted to drugs or alcohol, are violent, dangerous, or out of control. Horror film characters like Norman Bates in Psycho, Jack Torrance in the Shining, or Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs associate the typical 'psycho- killer' with people who suffer from a mental illness. But dramas and horror films are not the only film genres that create stigma. Comedies like What About Bob and many others not only stigmatize, they also make fun of mental illnesses and the people who suffer from them. This paper will discuss how the film Me, Myself & Irene is an inaccurate, offensive and stigmatizing portrayal of an individual suffering from schizophrenia. It also discusses what can be done to counteract the stigma created by these types of films.
instance in our scene we had to enter a lift but to show this in a
and act in shows with a local theatre group twice a year at the local
Tragedies will always exist as a part of life, no matter how many precautions provided. Some people, such as Reverend Robert May however, try to take these awful situations to reach out to others to encourage certain morals or push ideas. After a fire in a theater with numerous casualties, Robert tried to capitalize on this situation as an opportunity to tell the youth in a message not to go to the theaters. Although he uses decent points at times, it is rather obvious that he abuses the situation to twist or make up what he calls truth. Robert appears to overreach his position as a reverend when he imposes his personal beliefs on impressionable youth.
People in this world have many different struggles. Some deal with chronic pain, others with poverty and some even with the consequences of their bad choices. Numerous individuals also struggle with mental illness also known as various disorders that affect mood, personality, cognition and other areas of functioning. Mental illness is unique to the individual and can be experienced in a variety of ways. Three people that have experienced mental illness and all that it entails are Susanna Kaysen the author of the memoir Girl, Interrupted, John Nash-a mathematician whose life was the basis of the film A Beautiful Mind and a woman named Theresa Lozowski who is a medical professional. All three struggle with a mental illness and the way they view their illnesses and the aspects of it are similar in several ways as well as different. These similarities and differences are witnessed in how they view their symptoms, their diagnoses, how they view the cause of their mental illness as well as how they view mental illness in general. There were also similarities and differences in their views on taking medication as well as the treatment of psychotherapy.
In this paper, I will be focusing briefly on my knowledge and understanding of the concept of Applied theatre and one of its theatre form, which is Theatre in Education. The term Applied Theatre is a broad range of dramatic activity carried out by a crowd of diverse bodies and groups.
My experience watching a live theatre performance on stage was a fascinating one, most especially since it was my first time. I attended a staged performance of “The History Boys” in a small theatre called “The Little Theatre of Alexandria” at 8:00 pm on Wednesday June 8, 2016 in Alexandria, Virginia. The overall production of the play was a resounding experience for me particularly the performance of the actors and the design of the scene made the play seem real.