Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Depression is no laughing matter. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 16.5 percent of the U.S. adult population will experience major depressive disorder during their lives. It can interfere with daily functioning and cause distress for those experiencing the disorder and those who care about them. So, at first glance, City Theatre's next production, which begins performances Saturday, appears to be something of a contradiction.
Sunday, April 01, 2012
City's 'Tigers' explores depression theme
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Depression is no laughing matter. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 16.5 percent of the U.S. adult population will experience major depressive disorder during their lives. It can interfere with daily functioning and cause distress for those experiencing the disorder and those who care about them. So, at first glance, City Theatre's next production, which begins performances Saturday, appears to be something of a contradiction.
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2 comments:
This looks like a great show; I really hope I get the chance to see it. The director Matt Marrow really hits the mark when he says, “Everybody's depressed, but not everyone talks about it. We live in a culture that would rather take a pill than look at what is causing us pain and trying to treat it through understanding.” I think that theatre is one of the best mediums to address problems, such as depression, that no one wants to talk about. By portraying such problems in stories instead of talking about them directly, theatre manages to make audiences think without making them feel so uncomfortable that they stop listening. Going to see theatre that addresses these problems is the beginning of a conversation, but I am always astounded by how unwilling people are to talk about the shows they have just seen. I often go see shows with people and at the end ask them what they thought. It is rare to get more than, “It was good, I liked it” in response. I think everyone needs to work harder at continuing the conversation even after they have left the theatre.
This play sends a great message. Depression and other mental disorders are just beginning to be acceptable, both to have and to discuss. I read an article once that compared depression to more physical diseases. When you have cancer, people support you, celebrate with you when go into remission, etc. A lot of times, a depressed person isn't really socially allowed to talk about it, so they go through the hard times alone and also celebrate alone when they beat part of it. I think an important thing this play conveys is that depression isn't a weakness and it isn't just "being sad", but an actual, diagnosed disease. I hope this play does start conversations among people who wouldn't otherwise talk or think much about it. I know an old lady that died recently, and in the months before her death, she was diagnosed with severe depression, that had supposedly gone untreated her entire life. For most of her life, it wasn't an acceptable thing to talk about, or go to a doctor for. I think that has changed, but needs to continue changing, and this play is a great spark for that.
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