Mental illness is something that affects almost everyone, and WATERFORDrama portrayed this pressing issue in an amazing way, continue the tradition of excellence that WHS possesses. On Tuesday morning, the senior class and others watched this performance in order to learn about mental illness and how prevalent it is today in a safe environment.

This show puts mental illness in the spotlight, whether it is regarding PTSD, depression, or alcoholism, the cast plays out real-world scenarios. Kaitlyn Mangelinkx,  senior who plays Angela Cady, struggles to find help for her son, Andrew Cady, played by senior Matthew McKenzie. Angela fights to find the help her son needs, along with the struggle of facing other family issues, such as her own alcoholism and drug abuse. Needless to say, I shed a few tears while watching these touching and emotional scenes.

Senior Margaret Lincoln said, “I think that this show is such an important production for a school.  Mental illness affects people I know, and so by bringing awareness to it, it allows other people to understand and think about things they might not have thought about.”

Many students have not realized the effect mental illness has in our community. It sparked conversations during intermission, and I saw students instead grabbing their cell phones after the show, they took a step back to appreciate the conversations about how present mental illness is that this performance had sparked. 

Senior and actor in the play Natalie Frascarelli said , “There is a huge stigma around the subject of mental illness, but it needs to be talked about. I hope that when people see the show, it makes them want to talk about mental health. If we get people to talk about this topic, then we did our jobs.”

I urge everyone to please come see the show, the cast truly does an amazing job. Mental illness affects everyone, and The Mental State does a remarkable job bringing it a little closer to home. The eye-opening performances will debut October 20th through the 22nd, and tickets can be purchased at the door.