Thursday, April 30, 2015

Mental Health Awareness Featured in HHS Play

I was treated to a sneak preview of the HHS Forensics production of The Boys Next Door yesterday. To say I was blown away is an understatement. The play focuses on the lives of four men living with mental disabilities in an assisted living facility and their caretaker.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month with activities centered around helping remove the stigma that is often attached to mental illness and disability. By portraying these characters with care and respect, the students' performances give the audience a glimpse of what millions of Americans live with daily.
Often, the play is emotional and tugs at your heartstrings, while it is also lighthearted and funny. One of the things I appreciated most was that the humor was never at the expense of the characters' disabilities. It was simply characters in humorous situations or the simple comedy of misunderstanding.
One of the most magical scenes was at a dance. Two characters, both with a pronounced disability, are dancing together. At first, they dance in an awkward, somewhat stilted gate, as the dance would seem to anyone else looking at them. But then it shifts, and we see the dance as these two characters feel it. They transform into graceful, synchronized figures performing an elegant routine. It was simply beautiful.
I've seen dozens of high school plays and productions, many with more elaborate sets or more extravagant costumes, but none with the robust care and emotion I witnessed in the Black Box Theater Wednesday afternoon. "Moving" doesn't even come close to expressing the impact.
I commend the students, their teachers, and the director for reaching for something special and meaningful with this play. It is undoubtedly entertaining, but it also broaches a topic that matters.
They will be bringing in some other students from Hattiesburg High School's community based class as extras in one scene, and Mrs. Nan Davis was there to help give the students feedback on their portrayal. Seeing that sweet, devoted educator brought to tears by the loving portrayal of people like the students she has served over her entire career was a beautiful thing. Her praise for the actors and the story seemed like the best endorsement you could ever hope for with a story like this. The people who know, like Mrs. Davis, they got it! They felt it. And you should, too.
The showtimes for The Boys Next Door are May 15 & 16 at 7pm and May 17 at 2pm. The show is only $5, and seating is limited, so book your tickets in advance! Tickets can be reserved by emailing: scott.waldrop@hattiesburgpsd.com

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