Next to Normal is one of those shows…
It’s one of those shows that everyone loves and has seen. The show is itself is musically intertwined with emotion and trauma, which makes the play a daunting task, to say the least. I have often heard actors say that it is one of those shows that is on their bucket list. My bucket list has me seeing Springsteen live in concert or witnessing an aurora borealis. But...empathizing with a marriage built on trauma and sustained by mental illness isn’t something I look to be in or direct, but...I believe in as an artist.
Edward Albee once said, “All art should be useful, if it's merely decorative, it's a waste of time.” I hope that the audience will take the perspective we present here tonight and apply it to the conversations, interactions, and healing processes that have not yet happened.
With that in mind, we approach this work with the objectivity of a scientist and with the grace of a concerned family member calling home. As artists, we examine and scrutinize each note of music or inflection of tone in order to take the the focus off ourselves effectively. With that weight lifted, we then have access to a vivid, electrical clarity wherein we can start to see each other. Talk to each other and support each other. This is the power of theater.
We call upon our personal experiences, traumas, and heartbreak, and we lay them down as a tribute to this music composed of sound and fury. We sacrifice these burdens that we may hold sacred for the fleeting moment. We do this not for ourselves but the benefit and well-being of others.
The cast and crew have grown tremendously during this journey. The musicians are attuned and ready to rock. The audience is… well… you made it this far. Celebrate that and enjoy the show.
