Normal Stories - Part 1 - Smile, Say Hello, and Get the Conversation Started
Over the next month and a half, Arts After Hours is going to be publishing content here in connection with our production of Next to Normal , running June 1-June 17. The Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning family drama is about a woman dealing with mental illness, and the impact the struggle within her own mind has on her entire family. We have asked patrons, artists, friends, and family to share their stories, their diagnosis, and the impact it has had on their daily and family life. So many of you have shared and we now are ready to begin our conversation. Here is the first of a series of many stories we will share in the coming weeks. Laura's story is a great starting point for us. She is also the amazing volunteer who has collected many of your stories to get them ready for this blog. A true advocate and champion of getting these stories heard and ever hopeful that we can crush the stigma and begin talking more openly about mental illness: Laura's Story My name is Lau