ALICE GRIFFIN JEWEL BOX THEATRE

Official dates to be confirmed

Ed Harris and Amy Madigan lead a large ensemble cast of 14, in this disturbing drama by Tony-winning playwright David Rabe (1972's Sticks and Stones). Inspired by a real clinic, the story takes place in a mental health clinic in Conneticut, isolated in the countryside. First premiering in Chicago in 2015 to rave reviews, Rabe shows no sign of slowing down at 75, with his innate ability to create richly drawn characters from all walks of life. Within this microcosm are the outpatients, all struggling to make sense of their mental illness, and the difficulties faced by the therapists trying to heal them.

The cross-section of the patients cover every facet of society; a 12 year-old girl who engages in self-harm; a assumedly upstanding New England gentleman who suffered from a traumatic childhood; a man who is so painfully shy that he is unable to say hello whilst meeting your eyes. The problems aren't limited to the patients however; one of the therapist deals with his stress through self-medicating; an insurance agent shows compassion to one person by telling them how to access emergency mental health care without being stung for costs.

As is typical in a Rabe play, the characters are richly relaized,without resorting to cheap stereotypes, finding compassion and humanity through the most challenging and misunderstood of circumstances.