The (Un)Happy Medium

Kiss the Giraffe Productions—Planetarium

With her crisp and articulate script, Heather Madill has completely succeeded in taking the subject of depression/anxiety (mental illness) out of the sole jurisdiction of the medical community and planted it firmly in the realm of humanity.

One assumes from the programme notes that she has struggled with depression. By personifying aspects of those struggles, she has been able to present the symptoms of depression clearly and in a non-frightening way. If such a thing exists, she is has been able to “normalize” the situation. But what defines “normal” anyway? The section on the symptoms of depression/anxiety came very close to a lecture, but was alleviated by the onstage business that went with it. (I’m fairly certain that I could remember about seven of the symptoms, just by replaying the scene in my mind.)

Heather, Laura and Scott, your acting, across the board, was thoroughly enjoyable. Alan, you should never have been unsure that this script was not the right fit. You were sensitive and understanding of the material and have every right to be proud of the show.

I am hoping that this show goes further, infiltrating the community of mental health care provider, doctors, psychologists and mental healthcare workers. I hope that it makes its way into the school system. I say this because I believe that the a primary message of the play is that people with mental health issues just want to be able to function, to not be paralyzed by their disease, and to become an accepted part of a larger community.

Michelle Cook