Next to Normal: a Compelling Depiction of Mental Illness
On September 5th, I was able to see the final dress rehearsal of Street Theatre Company’s production of the musical Next to Normal. In the intimate black box of the Barbershop Theater we sat only a few feet away from the six actors, able to witness every nuanced facial expression. Before the play began, the director, Alicia Haymer, spoke for a moment and reminded us that it was perfectly alright to emote and that actors live off of feedback. Thank goodness for that, because I cried (and laughed) multiple times during the performance.
Next to Normal follows the struggle of a mother and wife, Diana Goodman (Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva), with mental illness and the effect of the illness on her whole family. In the second act, Diana undergoes electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in hopes of getting better. It helps in some ways, but also makes things worse as she suffers memory loss after the procedure.
Before I go any further I want to warn you that there will be major spoilers in this review. If you don’t want spoilers and are just curious whether you should see the play, here is your answer: go see the play.
Next to Normal begins with Diana waiting up for her son who comes home in the middle of the night. She sings, “It’s the seventh night I’ve waited up ‘til morning imagining the ways you might have died.” It’s clear as the play goes on that she’s suffering with mental illness and has a lot of anxieties. However it isn’t until about halfway through the first act that the audience realizes just how serious her illness is when it is revealed that her son, Gabe (Jalen Walker), is a delusion, and that he died 17 years ago as a baby. This traumatic death greatly contributed to her mental illness.
The play does a phenomenal job of showing the audience the perspectives and feelings of each character. You empathize with Diana who is still struggling with her grief and mental illness, but you also empathize with her husband, Dan (Leonard Ledford III), who is trying so hard to hold the family together. When Diana sings that Dan doesn’t know how she feels, he pleads back with her, “Tell me what to do. Tell me who to be, so I can see what you see.”
And then there’s their daughter, Natalie (Ella Claybrooks) who constantly has to put her own needs aside because her mother is still fixated on the death of her brother. She’s so used to being on the outside that she’s completely taken aback when Henry (Jayden Murphy), a boy at school, notices her and tells her that he’s noticed her for years. At one point, Natalie sings a song called “Superboy and the Invisible Girl,” in which she describes how her mother almost idolizes her dead brother while she is unseen in her own house. Diana’s gut-wrenching response to this is “you know I love you. I love you as much as I can.” After Diana attempts suicide, her doctor recommends ECT and gets consent from both Diana and Dan. This results in memory loss that’s so acute, Diana doesn’t remember her home, Natalie, her life with Dan, or Gabe. She appears to be doing better mentally until she begins to slowly recover her memories and has a breakdown as she experiences the pain of losing Gabe all over again. The play ends in a way that feels very real: there’s no clear resolution, but there is hope for the future. Although the family will never be normal, perhaps they will be something next to normal.
Diana is a difficult role to play as she really runs the gambit of emotions and mental states. Whitcomb-Oliva is phenomenal as her character leaps from mania, to anger, to sorrow, and finally to hope. The pain in her voice when she remembers Gabe’s death in the song “How Could I Ever Forget,” is nothing short of heartbreaking. Even my stoic husband shed a tear!
Dan is my favorite character, and Ledford III gave me goosebumps in some of his songs. After Diana’s suicide attempt, Dan is cleaning up the blood that she’s left on the ground and sings “I’ve Been,” a song about how hard he’s trying, how he doesn’t know how to help her, and how he doesn’t know how he could be alone. Ledford III’s voice is strong, and yet he has a beautiful fragility to his tone, as though he could break at any moment.
DaJuana Hammonds is perfectly cast as Dr. Madden. In the original script, this character is played by a man, but I quite liked that it is played by a woman in this production. The portrayal of this character can change how the audience is meant to view therapy and mental health professionals. Hammonds’ expressions and tone of voice are perfect for a Psychiatrist. She immediately gained my trust and respect. In fact, I liked her so much that I was shocked when she recommended ECT (although ECT is still practiced and has helped many people, it really does seem like a dismaying proposal at first). I would be fascinated to see how the whole play would change if this character was played with a cold and detached manner.
The characters Gabe, Natalie, and Henry, are all teenagers, but I was surprised at just how young the actors were; Walker (who plays Gabe) is a senior in high school. However, if I was worried how these young actors would stand-up to the more seasoned actors, I had nothing to worry about. Each one commands the stage in their own way. Walker is perfectly cast for Gabe, with a voice that is purely angelic. I loved the juxtaposition of his sweet voice along with the fact that every time he appears on stage, the actors are experiencing moments of extreme emotion or distress.
Murphy as Henry, the sincere and kind boyfriend, is positively overflowing with charisma. There were times when other characters would be speaking, but I would still be drawn to look at him instead. He delivers his lines in such a sweet and often humorous way, making the audience fall in love with him along with Natalie. Claybrooks has a very difficult job as an actor because Natalie is very angry with how she is treated and how her life has been (as Diana sings at one point “Your life has kind of sucked, I think”). An angry character can be difficult to relate to or to find likable. However, Claybrooks ability to be vulnerable in songs like “Superboy and the Invisible Girl” draws the audience in. A point of criticism I have about the blocking of this song is that Claybrooks is far away from the audience while Diana’s character is still in the foreground. While I’m sure this is an intentional way to help hammer home the idea that she is invisible, this is Natalie’s first and biggest moment to describe how she is feeling. I wish she had been front and center so we could experience her emotions along with her.
Despite that small criticism, the blocking is generally fantastic as they have very little space and almost no props. The costume design by Alexis Grigsby is quite well done. Dan primarily stays in his trousers and button-up shirt, while Diana’s outfits change with her mental state. At the end, when she has walked away from her doctor and then tells Dan that she is leaving him, she is dressed in bright, bold colors, showing her to be hopeful and strong.
The Street Theatre Company’s website describes this play as follows: “the story tackles the stigma surrounding mental health within the BIPOC/Black community and its impact on family dynamics.” I was interested to see how mental illness would be portrayed in the BIPOC community, and how the stigma differs from other communities. However, while the cast in this particular production is black, the play does not actually discuss race at all. I do appreciate the universality of this story and the knowledge that any person of any race can suffer from mental illness.
Next to Normal runs from September 6-21 and there is limited seating, so get your tickets now: https://www.streettheatrecompany.org/.
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Bethany is a wife, mother, and dog mom. In her spare time she likes to read, write fiction, and go out with her family. She feels lucky to live in Music City where she can go to the symphony or theatre all the time.
