I’ve said it before. There is an inherent joy in this thing called Theatre. We can take a seat in the dark and watch the lives of others unfold before us. Staring through the fourth wall enables us to behold the hilarity, conflicts and romance, through song, dance or the poetically spoken word. Of course, not all views are comprised of fun, fluff and dancing feet. In some instances, we are the fly on the wall peering at very intimate feelings and struggles. We find ourselves drawn into these strangers’ worlds and oftentimes, become quite moved by their experiences.

Such is the case with the theatrical phenomenon now on its one week run at the Forestburgh Playhouse. “Next To Normal” is not your everyday musical. It deals with some very serious issues; issues that affect so many of us, our neighbors, our own families. The show centers around an average suburban family; Mom, Dad, teenaged son and daughter. There’s also a boy at school who fancies the daughter. Then a doctor enters the picture when it is discovered that Mom may have some mental concerns. A bi-polar diagnosis turns this average family’s world upside down.

There is more to this plot that I really can’t divulge, but Brian Yorkey’s book and lyrics brilliantly create a multi-faceted storyline that serves up a gut-wrenching twist about halfway through the show. His superb script delves into the many unconceived consequences that mental illness generates. On a side note here, it was wonderful to see Sullivan County NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) manning an informational table outside the theater. Decades long Advocate Lori Schneider answered questions and provided information about local support/help that’s available in Sullivan County!

The six person cast drives the audience through this sometimes emotionally brutal journey. Brandon Grimes who plays the dual roles of Doctors Madden and Fine and Jackson Chase who plays the school boyfriend Henry appear to take a back seat to the family leads. However, their contributions to this story are important and their portrayals provide the much needed viewpoints of outsiders.

The teenaged children played by Alyssa McDonald (Natalie) and Matthew Richards Jr (Gabe) jointly, and yet so uniquely, present siblings in the same family who are so unbelievably different. (As in our own families!) Ms. McDonald excels as the sometimes forgotten daughter who can’t deal with her mother’s illness or her father’s inability to as well. But still the love for her mother breaks through in tender onstage moments. Mr. Richards possesses an incredibly strong stage presence that almost haunts us. He is every  mother’s son.

Andrew Fehrenbacher as the distraught, trying-to-hold-it-all-together, Dad often plays second fiddle to his wife’s character, but it is in his quietest and most reflective moments on stage that Mr. Fehrenbacher brightly shines as a loving father desperately attempting to battle his own demons of helplessness, guilt and loss. Leading roles like that of the mother/wife Diana pop up once in a while. This show might not be that well-known or this role might not become a household name, but there is no doubt that the substance and depth and complexity of the character Diana is the envy of every serious actress. Stacie Bono mesmerizes us as we stare from behind that fourth wall. She captivates our attention and drags us into her world with every struggle she endures. We feel her anguish whether in somber brooding or off-the-wall erratic behavior. She gives a tremendous performance that I am sure exhausts her by show’s end.

I didn’t individually mention each cast member’s vocal talents because they were all top notch and they’d have to be in order to make this vocally challenging arrangement work. Yet another big feather of achievement in each of these thespian’s hats! Director Roque Berlanga and Music Director Erik Wakar cleverly move the action along utilizing slower thoughtful music and staging to balance the fast paced, hectic, slamming music of confusion and fear. And a huge shoutout must go to Lighting Designer Wheeler Moon who with Scenic Designer Brian Seckfort create a world beyond this suburban home. How can we imagine what goes through the mind of someone afflicted with such conditions? Mr. Wakar and Mr. Seckfort’s combined creative genius uses simple lighting and set designs to elicit powerful emotions, thus delivering an atmosphere of wonder and confusion and then clarity within that confusion. They pull this off throughout the production, but I was spellbound by it during the beautiful number “I Dreamed a Dance”. What would we do without our tech people??!!

An exceptional script, provocative music and a fantastic cast make this production of “Next To Normal” an extraordinary theatrical event. It’s not always easy to watch, especially if you or your family has had to deal with any of the issues presented, but it is a noble undertaking. With mental illness awareness peaking in recent years, this show further promotes some of the real world, often taboo, concerns that plague these unfortunate victims and their families. It is an eye-opener!