Health News Hub Staff Report

Theatergoers awaiting the arrival of “Next To Normal” at TheaterWorks March 24 already know the story about a suburban mother’s struggles with bipolar disorder and its effects on her family. This rock musical won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama — an extraordinary statement by the 17-member Pulitzer board, because “Normal” was not among the three finalists submitted by the jury — and a 2009 best-actress Tony Award for Alice Ripley.

But the production coming to Hartford March 24 through April 30 also has a story-behind-the-story component, with Hartford HealthCare’s TalkBack Tuesdays each week starting April 4 featuring post-show chats about mental health and addiction with cast members, health professionals and policymakers.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for people to see what living with a mental health or addictions diagnosis is like,” says Patricia Rehmer, president of Hartford HealthCare’s Behavioral Health Network, “both for an individual and her family.”

https://youtube.com/watch?v=mIfR23yYs5s

The schedule:

 April 4: Creative Team Talkback (Cast):

Next_To_Normal_LD_v2 Join the “Next To Normal” cast and creative team as they discuss the process of bringing this show to the TheaterWorks stage.


​April 11: “Where’s the Casserole?”

Rehmer_LD_A“Stigma and Discrimination in Mental Health,”  featuring Patricia Rehmer, senior vice president of the Hartford HealthCare Behavioral Health Network (pictured); and Kathleen Flaherty, Executive Director of Connecticut Legal Rights Project, and a person in recovery.

When a serious physical illness is diagnosed, communities rally to support those affected. However, those facing a serious mental health crisis often face discrimination – even abandonment – by previously reliable support networks. But change is afoot, as Ms. Rehmer and Ms. Flaherty will discuss.


April 18: “A Dose of Reality”

Craig_Allen_LD  “Facing the Opioid Crisis in America,” featuring psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist Dr. J. Craig Allen.

In “Next to Normal” the character of Natalie reaches into the family medicine cabinet to cope with the stress of her mother’s illness. Dr. Allen furthers this theme by examining it in light of the opioid epidemic that is sweeping the U.S.


April 25: “There Will Be Light

Hank_Schwartz_LD“Journey to Wellness and Recovery,” featuring Harold Schwartz, psychiatrist-in-chief of Hartford Hospital’s Institute of Living and vice president of the Hartford HealthCare Behavioral Health Network, and Karen Kangas, Director of Recovery and Family Affairs, Hartford HealthCare Behavioral Health Network.

The Talkback Tuesday series concludes on a hopeful note, as Dr. Schwartz and Ms. Kangas explore the character of Diana, and her search for wellness and recovery, connecting it to the work patients do every day to achieve recovery and maintain mental health for a lifetime.

For more information about the TheaterWorks production, click here. ​ To purchase tickets, call box office at 860.527.7838.  (HHC employees receive a 15 percent discount.)