THEATRE + COMEDY

Stages Repertory Theatre presents the Regional Premiere of Next to Normal, by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey. Winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2009 Tony Award for Best Music and Lyrics.  Running May 16 through June 24. Stages' annual SURROUND occurs in conjunction with May's Mental Health Awareness Month.

This explosive rock musical has taken the country by storm. In what critics call "a brave, breathtaking musical" (The New York Times) and "Grade A: agonizingly beautiful" (Entertainment Weekly), this daring show celebrates the modern family, shatters the myths of mental illness, and redefines what it means to be "normal" in an ever-changing, unknowable world.

Director, Melissa Rain Anderson
Assistant Director, Mitchell Greco

Starring:
Happy McPartlin* as Diana
Tyler Berry Lewis
Bradley Goertz
Rebekah Stevens
Mark Ivy
Kregg Dailey
u/s Holland Vavra Peters*

*Member of Actor’s Equity Association.

SURROUND EVENT SCHEDULE:
This May and June, Stages presents the annual Surround, a series of free programs that enrich and provide access to one of our plays. Our community partner NAMI Metro Houston will have information in the lobby about mental health and advocacy at every performance, and will provide speakers for select Sunday afternoon post-show discussions.

Also in the lobby, during the month of June, an exhibit called "What is Normal?" will show the curated works of art, poetry, photography and writings of high school students who have explored in a Stages' led workshop the question of what is "normal" in our society, and what the "normal" family looks like.

May 5 NAMIwalks, 7:30am Registration, 8:30am Walk
NAMIWALKS--Changing Minds... One Step at a Time is a nationwide fundraising and mental health awareness program that is being held in more than 80 communities around the country in 2012, including right here in Houston. It is expected that these walks will raise approximately 9 million dollars in 2012 for NAMI and the mental health services it provides to thousands of families across the country. Stages will participate in the Houston NAMI Walks on Saturday May 5th. You can join us to walk by registering at www.namimetrohouston.org.  

POST-SHOW DIALOGUES
May 20 Join the actors and director for a Q&A
May 27, June 3, June 17 NAMI invites special guest speakers with expertise in the mental health field
June 10 The students of the SURROUND project "What is Normal?" will lead a discussion of the play and of their exhibit

May 24 PRE-CURTAIN COCKTAIL RECEPTION: NAMI METRO HOUSTON & STAGES, 6:30pm
A special reception for key supporters of NAMI Metro Houston and Stages Repertory Theatre to celebrate our community partnership.

May 28 IN OUR OWN VOICE, 7pm
In Our Own Voice (IOOV) is a unique public education program developed by NAMI, in which two trained speakers share compelling personal stories about living with mental illness and achieving recovery. IOOV is an opportunity for those who have struggled with mental illness to gain confidence and to share their individual experiences of recovery and transformation. Throughout the IOOV presentation, audience members are encouraged to offer feedback and ask questions. Audience participation is an important aspect of IOOV because the more audience members become involved, the closer they come to understanding what it is like to live with a mental illness and stay in recovery.